


25 Days of Adrien (+ 6 of Marinette)

by CoffeeComicsGalore



Series: Adrien's Long Awaited Gifts [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste Is Sunshine, Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Fluff, Aged-Up Character(s), Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, Dating, Engagement, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Identity Reveal, Kissing, Ladrien | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, Marichat, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, adrienette - Freeform, mlholidays2k19
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:06:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 43,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21633388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoffeeComicsGalore/pseuds/CoffeeComicsGalore
Summary: This is for the MLHolidays2k19 writing prompt. I have a story that covers all 31 days of prompts, no one shots.Happy Holidays! I hope you enjoy!
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: Adrien's Long Awaited Gifts [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1559275
Comments: 87
Kudos: 271





	1. Snowflakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette surprises Adrien during a cute moment.
> 
> Too fluffy <3

Marinette walked down the common, overlooking the many shops that were decorated of Christmas scenes, holiday décor, and sale signs; each store trying to entice shoppers to come in and purchase something for their families. It is the Christmas season after all. 

The common was also filled with busy shoppers. They all had ideas buzzing in their heads, quickly filling the cold December air with laughter and conversations. It was dull and gray out; the skies filled with heavy clouds that were ready to pour with precipitation. 

Marinette smiled to herself. Even as Ladybug and getting to see Paris in a light not many get to, she enjoys watching the craziness of the people around her. It makes her appreciate what she has a little bit more. 

And she knew she had to make this Christmas the best one yet. 

“Ready, Marinette?” 

She turned around to the voice that called for her. Adrien smiled as he walked out of the shop, holding a bag from his shopping in one hand, and holding out his hand for her with the other. She intertwines her fingers with his as she smiled and ducked her head hiding a blush forming on her cheeks. “I’m ready.” 

This was their first Christmas season together as a couple. Ten months ago, Adrien asked her out on a Valentine’s day dinner date. The romantic in him couldn’t justify not having their first date on the “day of lovers” as he called it and she couldn’t deny that she loved that part of him either. When the date had gone so well, he revealed how much she meant to him allowing her to reveal the same. Since then, they enjoyed each other’s company – stealing kisses in between classes, holding hands every moment they could, and spending almost all available time with each other. It was the best thing that happened to her. 

She soon realized how much all those moments together meant to him too. She noticed how touch-starved he was and how unloved he had been feeling since his mother passed away. She knew his home life wasn’t all that amazing, but being with him really made her understand how alone he really was. Marinette decided that she would do everything in her power to make this one of the more memorable holidays he has had in a long time. 

She spent the afternoon walking alongside him, holding onto his arm in a close embrace while her hand remained intertwined with his. The cold December air aided in their closeness which allowed her to bask in his warmth. He was always so warm. 

She leaned her head against his shoulder as they conversed over what they would like to see over the next year. They will both be attending universities in Paris; Marinette studying fashion while Adrien studies Physics. They also slightly covered the topic of his living arrangements and if he thought he was ready to be on his own yet. 

“Let’s focus on the now, Adrien.” She said with a reassuring smile. She could see this conversation was one that he didn’t particularly like talking about, but they both knew it was something that he needed to do for his own mentality. 

They focused on walking along the Seine. The gray clouds darkened around them, the sun slowly setting in the afternoon sky. As they made way to their favorite restaurant, Adrien turned to the beautiful blue-eyed girl and moved his free hand to her hair. He loved that she constantly wore it down, allowing him to unravel the tangles with his fingers. He slowly thumbs her chin, lifting it ever so slightly to place a chaste kiss to her lips. She lingers a bit as she inhaled his cologne, making her dizzy from the sensation. As he pulled away, a smile crept upon his lips before gravitating back towards her placing another longer kiss that melted her soul. 

“That was nice.” She said with a smile. 

Before he could answer, a wet droplet fell on her cheek. He giggled a bit as he wiped it off her face. As they looked up, they could see the gray clouds finally releasing their full bodies. Snowflakes slowly coming down around them, making the evening a bit more beautiful. 

Adrien smiled wide at the sight. Marinette giggled as she looked at his goofy face which caused him to look down at her. “Well, excuse you princess.” He said with sarcasm. 

“What? You have this cute dorky grin on your face. I couldn’t help but laugh at it.” 

He lowered his face until he was eye-level with her. “Your dork.” 

“My dork.” She kissed his nose. 

Adrien stood back up, and turned his back to her. “I was just thinking that this is our first snowfall together. I was just relishing in the moment.” “He looked behind to her with his lip curled up to a half smirk. 

Marinette walked around to face him, grabbed his jacket, and pulled him towards her. “I love you.” She kissed his cheek. “I wouldn’t ask for a better way to spend our first snowflakes together.” 

Adrien kissed her lips. “I love you too.” 

As they walked towards the restaurant, Marinette noticed a pretty ornament hanging in a storefront’s window display. An idea popped into her head. 

She stopped in her tracks before placing a hand on his chest. “Wait here, hot stuff.” 

Adrien looked puzzled but complied. As he watched the buzzing of people in the streets, he thought of how this time of year was already turning out better than most. He had Marinette this time, but not as the friend he always considered her to be. She was his, and he couldn’t be more ecstatic. 

“I’m back.” Marinette said with a smile. “Here. This is for you.” She hands him a small red bag with white and silver polka dotted tissue paper peaking from the top. 

“What’s this?” Adrien asked, a little shocked. 

“I wanted to make this day memorable for the both of us. Open it.” 

Adrien looked at Marinette while holding back some tears. She always spoiled him, but he could never get used to it. Living 18 years and not having much in the way of gifts or recognition from his father really made him feel like he didn’t deserve much. If his own father couldn’t give him a meaningful gift for his birthday or Christmas, then why would anyone else would. Marinette definitely changed that outlook for him, but each gift she gave him also came with tears. 

As he carefully removed the tissue paper, he noticed a red box. He took the box and handed Marinette the tissue and bag so he could look at the surprise gift. When he opened the box, a stray tear fell down his face. An acrylic 3-D snowflake laid in the box. On the center of the snowflake, there was a little flat plaque that read, “Our First Snowflake Together 2019”. 

Marinette looked over to him with a smile filled with love. She grasped his cheeks reminding him that she was still there. 

“Thank you, Marinette. You are the best girlfriend, ever. I love you” 

She kissed his cheek. “I love you too. Come on, I’m hungry.” 


	2. Hot Cocoa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug brings treats for her leather-clad partner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A brief LadyNoir moment.

After another amazing evening together, the night eventually had to end. Adrien needed to finish some homework and get ready for an early morning photo shoot, and Marinette had to work on a commission – at least that’s what she  had told  Adrien to excuse herself for the night .

Once she  kiss ed Adrien good night, Marinette ran up to her room to get ready for patrol. She always looked forward to these nights. It helped her relieve some of the stress from all the problems of the day. She may not have many problems right now, especially now that she is with Adrien, but her only problem is keeping her secret identity from him.

She hates that she has to keep this secret from Adrien. Hates that she has to hide this half of her life. But yet, it also feels so freeing. Running across the rooftops, swinging alongside the monuments. She feels so carefree in those moments. 

One of her favorite parts is spending those moments with her best friend. That makes keeping this secret so much easier , e specially knowing he has to do the same.

She and Chat  Noir  have gotten so close over the last few years. After a year of being in this role, Chat had finally stopped pining for her, moving on a few times that ended in heartbreak for him. She did the same, moving on from Adrien that led to heartbreak a few times over. Moving on from the deep first love was just as hard for her as it was for him. 

They both became the comfort each other needed to move past the heartbreak, growing their friendship so much closer. When they both entered into their new relationships a few months ago, they couldn’t be happier for each other. From what she gathered, this girl was good for him, someone he needed to help him through the hard times. 

Thinking of her leather-clad partner, she decides that she needs to do something for him today. She really wasn’t in the mood for patrol and just wanted to relax a bit instead. She collects a basket of goodies from the bakery – some of their favorite pastries along with a thermos full of warm goodness – to bring with her tonight. A blanket for warmth is definitely needed for this evening’s “patrol”. The snow is falling a little harder now, but still light enough that it won’t weigh down on them as they relax for a bit.

“What are you doing, Marinette?” Her pink  k wami asks sweetly.

Marinette hands her over a cookie. “I know Chat doesn’t have a loving home, at least that’s what I’ve gathered over the years. I know this is a hard time of year for him so I thought I could cheer him up a bit with some of his favorite treats.”

“You’re so sweet, Marinette! He’s very lucky to have a friend like you.”

She thinks of him as she finishes packing the sweets. “He’s one of my best friends,  Tikki . I could never let him feel alone or unloved.”

She finishes gathering all the supplies before turning to the  kwami . “ Tikki , spots on!”

She transforms and gathers all the items before swinging out of her skylight. She heads off to their favorite meeting spot, swinging from monument to monument. She runs across the rooftops as quickly and steadily as she can with the  items in her hands, all without falling off the snow-covered roofs. As she swings towards the Eiffel tower, she sees a black figure sitting on the beam, swinging his legs as he sings his favorite song. 

“Little kitty on the roof, all alone without his- oh, hey bug!” Chat says with a smile.

“Sorry I’m late,  Chaton . But I have some treats to make it up to you.”

Chat smiled with his Cheshire Cat grin. Ladybug handed him the basket as she laid out the blanket. He opened the basket to smell the treats. The air around them started to fill with the sweetness of the pastries.  “Ooh, is that a strawberry tart I smell?”

“Yes, and I also brought some croissants too ! ”

“Oh bugaboo, you know a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”

She stifled a giggle. “What, does your girlfriend not feed you enough?”

“She feeds me plenty, but I can never say no when you bring me treats.”

As they sit on the blanket, she pours him some hot cocoa into the mugs she brought along. “Treats  _ and _ hot cocoa? What’s the occasion bug?”

She looks over to him and feels a little ping in her chest. “Nothing at all, Chat. I just wanted to spoil one of my favorite fellas today.”

“Well this is a cat- tastic treat then, my lady.” He grabs a croissant and tears into one with his teeth. 

She laughs at the pun as she hands his mug over to him. She grabs a chocolate éclair and bites into the pastry, some of the filling oozing out onto her gloved hand.

“I’m such a mess.” Ladybug says as  before licking off the goop.

He lets out a laugh. “Never a mess, bug.”

Chat takes a sip of his cocoa before placing it down beside him. He brings his arms back a bit, allowing him to lean back and soak up the view. The snow was slowly dissipating, but the landscape was covered in a beautiful dusting. The trees, rooftops, and roads were covered in white, making everything feel breathtakingly new. 

They sit and stare at the sight for a while before the silence becomes too much to bear.

“You know...” Chat waits until he can feel Ladybug look over to him as he continues to stare into the  speckled  void, “I’m happy to have both of my favorite ladies in my life. It makes this cat’s life a little bit brighter.”

Ladybug gives him a loving smile. “I’m glad that you’re in my life too  Chaton . I couldn’t imagine having my life without you.” She leans over to him and gives him a kiss on the cheek. 

He smiles back at her as he picks up his mug. He brings it over to her as he says, “Thank you for being here for me. Thanks for being in my life.”

Ladybug takes her own mug and clinks it against his. “Thank you for being in mine.”

She lays her head against his shoulder, enjoying the moment together.  They sit there in silence for a bit longer, finishing their treats. The night was quiet enough. Skipping patrol would be okay just for today. 


	3. Fireplace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Adrien go out and build a... fireplace?

The weather was cold and the snow was falling outside. School was let out early due to the impending storm, which allowed Adrien and Marinette to hang out a little longer than usual. Lunch with the Dupain-Chengs was as great as always - full of love and sweet laughter - something Adrien enjoyed more than he believed he should. Conversations filled the air with Christmas topics. 

“Adrien, what is one thing _you_ want for Christmas?” Sabine questioned. 

Adrien looked down at his hands. No one really asked him that question before, at least not since... he didn’t want to think of that right now. He bit his lip a bit, his mind reeling at the thousands of possibilities he could want. His family was rich. He could afford whatever he wanted. His father bought him everything that he thought Adrien could want. All to fill the unpleasant void and uncomfortable silence between the two remaining family members. 

His mouth twisted into a contorted frown. “Would it be sad to say all I really want is a loving family to just love me back?” 

Sabine and Tom looked at each other with sheer sadness. “Oh honey, I know it may not be the same, but you are family to us.” Sabine reached over to him and embraced him in a warm hug. “We love you, dear. Always remember that.” 

Marinette walked over to him; her heart aching with sadness. A man as loving as him deserved so much more than what he currently had. She knew damn well that he was so loved, even if it wasn’t from that man he called “father”. 

As soon as Sabine let him go from her embrace, Marinette grabbed Adrien’s hand and placed her free hand to his cheek. “Seriously, I love you.” She kissed his cheek. “We all do.” 

All he could do was look up at her through his tousled bangs, a slight painful, but yet warm smirk ran upon his lips. “I know.” He whispered. “I love you all too.” 

Once the kitchen was cleaned, her maman shooed them up to Marinette’s room to enjoy their remaining time together before he was forced to leave. Because really, if he could, he would stay here until he married her. 

Marinette and Adrien were wrapped in a warm blanket, enjoying the sweet cuddles as they watched some silly cat videos on her bed. If it made Adrien happy, she would watch these silly videos forever just to see his smile and carefree laughter. 

After a few too many videos, an ad for some card company plays. It was a family in the middle of decorating the mantel with the fireplace lit up with a warm ember. He looks at the ad with a somber expression. “I’ve never decorated a fireplace before.” 

“I haven’t either. We don’t have one here for us to decorate.” Marinette said while staring at the ad. 

“We have one, but it’s in Father’s office, so we just never decorated it.” Adrien shrugged. 

Marinette chewed her lip a bit before her eyes flicked wide with a sly thought. She got up and ran down her ladder, looking for the necessary supplies she needed to start her plan. 

Adrien, confused as ever, propped up on his elbow, questioning the quick movements his girlfriend was doing. He knew she had a plan, but this time he could not figure out what it was. 

He heads down the ladder to watch her. “What are you doing, Marinette?” 

Without turning around she states nonchalantly, “I’m getting supplies.” She opens up her sketch book, quickly designing the 3D version of specifications for the build. As she finished the sketch, she turns to show him the design. “We are building ourselves a fireplace!” 

Adrien cocked his head to the side. “We are what?” he deadpanned. 

“Listen silly.” She giggled. “Neither of us have ever decorated a fireplace before. I’m gathering boxes and paper and paint and we are making a pretend fireplace!” She moved her chaise out of the way to make room for the boxes. 

Adrien’s mind was moving quickly between emotions. From shocked that she was doing this, to expected that she would attempt to do this, to adoring his girlfriend for doing this for him, for them – he didn’t know which way to go. But his smile reached his ears in a wide grin before he could figure those sweet emotions. He quickly dove to the floor beside her, waiting for her commands. 

Before they knew it, the cardboard boxes were quickly forming into the fireplace design. She handed him paints to start painting the makeshift brick façade, not caring how messed up the lines would be. All she cared about was that they were having fun and doing it together. She moved over to her desk to design and cut out a pretend fire, soon painting it and allowing it to dry. 

When Adrien was done, she asked him to start making pretend stockings with construction paper. He finished the designs with both their names written on the collar of the stocking. 

They must have been at it for hours when Marinette’s papa knocked on the hatch bringing in pastries to hold them over. “Wow, look at this Sabine!” Tom called out. 

Sabine walked up the stairs to see the almost completed project. “Oh, isn’t that lovely!” 

Adrien looked over to them and smiled at the praises of their hard work. Marinette agreed that Adrien did a great job working on the painting of the brick and showed them the stockings he had put together. 

“You have an eye for design, Adrien.” Tom praised with a wink. 

“Thank you” he said coyly as he rubbed his neck. 

When the paint was dry, Tom and Adrien brought the makeshift fireplace down to the living area to the wall beside the television. Marinette stayed in her room just a little bit longer creating stockings for her parents to place on the mantel. 

Sabine was working in the kitchen, making some homemade hot chocolate for them all to enjoy together. They all sat on the couch, marveling at the design, pretending they were enjoying the warmth from the pretend flames. 

Conversations continued, laughter ensued, all to be interrupted by a ringing in Adrien’s pocket. All too soon, he had to leave. 

As Marinette walked him out the door, he hugged her tightly, kissing her cheek, then to her other cheek, her forward, down to her nose, and ending it with a lingering kiss to her lips. “You are seriously the best girlfriend I could ever ask for, Marinette. I love you.” 

She wrapped her fingers in his hair, looking ever so sweetly into his eyes. “And you deserve the world, Adrien.” She tiptoed up to reach his lips, kissing him once, twice, three times before saying back: “I love you too.” 


	4. Ornament

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning. This chapter is a little sad.
> 
> Adrien finally opens up about his mom to Marinette.

It was a peaceful Saturday afternoon as they finished the delicious meals the chef created. Gabriel, of course, did not attend the lunch with them, but Adrien enjoyed his girlfriend’s company, nonetheless. For all he cares at this point, is that he was enjoying his meal with at least the one person who actually enjoyed his presence. 

As they walked through the atrium to head to his room, Marinette sees the large, empty tree standing tall by the staircase. Marinette couldn’t help but feel sad for the naked tree, but she knew that maybe Adrien wanted to decorate it still. 

“Hey.” Marinette poked his side as she called for him quietly. 

“Hmm.” Adrien muffled back. He was still somewhat sad over his father’s failed attempt to eat lunch with them. 

“Why is the tree naked?” Marinette questioned him innocently. 

He started giggling over the weird question. Of course, Marinette flustered as she realized how she asked it, but then started giggling along with him. They broke into fits of laughter before finally calming down a bit. 

He looked over to her, then back at the tree. A sigh released from his lungs giving way to a sad demeanor in his eyes. 

“Do you remember that Christmas where I ran away?” 

Marinette cringed at the memory. She finally found him back at the mansion steps but then mistakenly accused Santa as being an akuma and kidnapping Adrien. It only led to a real akumatized Santa Claws bringing scary gifts to everyone in Paris. “I remember that. Everyone was out looking for you. It was such a scary moment for all of us.” 

He continued to stare at the tree. “That was the last time I really decorated it. Even though that night ended up better than most years because I had all my friends with me to celebrate...” _he still couldn’t believe his father allowed all the unexpected guests to have Christmas dinner with them, “..._ I still can’t bring myself to really decorate the tree anymore.” 

Marinette saddens at the thought. “Then who decorates it each year?” 

“Father hires someone to do it. We buy the tree ahead of time to set it up where he wants it, then Nathalie brings someone in a few days later to decorate it.” 

Marinette curls her lips at a thought. “What about if we do it...” she looks over to him, “together?” 

Adrien stops staring at the tree to look at her. Could he do it? His mother always trimmed the tree. But would it be okay? Would he enjoy it a little more if Marinette did it with him? 

He looked back at the tree for a minute more. 

“We don’t have to, Adrien. It was only a suggestion.” 

“No, let’s do it. I think it would be better if I did it with someone besides Nathalie.” 

Marinette smiled. “Then let’s go and get the decorations.” 

Adrien asked Nathalie where the decorations were hidden. When they were able to locate them, both Adrien and Marinette grabbed the boxes and brought them all to the atrium. 

They slowly brought up the colorful lights together, careful not to fall as they wrapped them around the towering tree. While Adrien stayed on the ladder, Marinette grabbed the gold tinsel garland from the box and handed it over to him. 

As he wrapped the garland around the tree, Adrien started talking. He began telling Marinette the first Christmas he could remember without photographs. He talked well of his mother, describing how she meticulously chose which theme she wanted the tree to be that year. “Golds and reds” he beamed. “She wanted golds and reds. Gold tinsel, red and gold ornaments. Red was her favorite color.” 

Marinette agreed. “Red is a beautiful color.” 

Once they finished the garland, Adrien climbed down the ladder to look at the box of ornaments. 

He smiled as he retrieved the first one. It was a simple cream plaque with a red Japanese symbol adorned to the front of it. It was made of porcelain, with a red ribbon to hang it on the tree and a red fringed tassel tied at the bottom. The symbol was ‘love’. “My mother bought this one when her and Father traveled to Japan for the first time.” He remembers the story she told him. “My father fell down the stairs when he lost his footing. She had to remember that moment as the day she _fell_ for him.” 

_Oh, the puns!_ She accidently laughed out loud. 

“Hey!” Adrien scoffed. 

“I wondered where you got your puns from.” She teased, “because it was definitely _not_ from your father.” 

He laughed at the tease. “My mother was always one to poke jokes.” 

Next, he pulls out a black, iron-looking ornament. It was a mannequin, with black mock-iron twisted and turned into the shape. It had a silver ribbon tied at the top and a white flower pinned to where the bodice should be. “This was bought when my father started the company. My mother was an actress, but she loved to sew. She had at least three or four mannequins in her studio at one time. Her favorite mannequin was one that always stayed in the corner and it had her very first design on it.” He pondered a bit. “It looked exactly like this ornament. Father was the one to buy this for her. It’s actually her favorite one that he bought her.” 

Marinette smiled brightly at his memory. The soft look he gave only warmed her heart. 

He continues talking through all the ornaments, relishing at each of the memories of his mother. A pained smiled crossed his lips as tears had run down his cheeks. Marinette stood by him at each moment, wiping the tears from his eyes and kissing the swollen cheeks. 

At one point in between all the memories, Gorilla, Nathalie, and Gabriel watched them in awe. This was the first time in years that Adrien really spoke of his mother. Even Gabriel, stoic and poised as usual, smiled at the interactions between the two. They chose to leave them be at their own accord. 

When he reached in the box to retrieve the last ornament, the tears started flowing a little bit harder. When Marinette kneeled up beside him, her heart tore a little bit more at the sight. “This- this was the last ornament my mother bought before she passed away.” He started sniffling. 

The ornament was a beautiful, ornate angel. It was made of acrylic, almost resembling glass in weight. She wore a long gown that was adorned with gold snowflakes of different shapes and sizes. Her hair was long and flowing with curls at the end. She had these beautiful gold wire wings, shaped in every which way to look like feathers. It was breathtakingly beautiful. 

“Oh Adrien.” Marinette cooed at the priceless gem. “This is absolutely gorgeous.” 

He continued to sniffle. “I always said this looked like her. I really truly believe that she bought this for us for a reason.” He held it up to his heart before getting up to place it on the tree. “It is my favorite ornament and I cherish this with my soul.” 

Marinette walked up to him and held him from behind. She kissed his shoulder, reminding him that she was there for him and to not be afraid to let his emotions go. 

“Thank you getting me to do this and I’m glad I have someone to tell this to.” He turns to hug her in a tight embrace. “Talking about this helps keep my mother’s memory alive. I just wish she was here to decorate it with us. I miss her terribly.” 

“Thank you for telling me her stories.” She kissed him lightly. “I’m glad to have brought a smile to your cute face.” 

He looked up at the tree as he continued to embrace her. “You have brought the Christmas spirit back into this home. I love you for that.” 


	5. Red Noses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien calls Marinette Rudolph. She declares war.

After some coaxing, kisses, and cuddles, Marinette was able to get Adrien into a happier mood and out of the mansion for a bit. They bundled up and walked around, taking in the view. Over the last few days, snowfall had come in and out of Paris, leaving a blanket of crisp, white snow a few inches thick. 

It was well into the afternoon, almost dark at this point, but the couple didn’t mind. The temperature was dropping fairly quickly, reminding them of the impending snow that was forecasted for tonight. 

The snow crunched beneath their feet that sounded eerie in the quietness that surrounded them. The sound was accompanied by the puffs of warm air that left their mouths. Nothing was around them; there were no Parisians taking the time to scurry around right now. Instead of being afraid of the nothingness, they embraced it. 

The walked in silence enjoying each other’s presence. Marinette wrapped her arm around Adrien’s arm, soaking in the warmth he produced. 

“Thank you again for earlier.” Adrien finally said. “It really meant so much to me that you were there remembering her with me.” 

He continued to look forward as he spoke. “I really wish you could have met her. She would have loved you. You remind me so much of her.” 

Marinette didn’t say anything. She only nuzzled her head into his shoulder. She grabbed his hand, locking her fingers with his. 

“I never really thought that I could find love this way. I only ever loved one other person in my life before you, but she always turned me down.” He remembered all those times of Ladybug turning down his declarations. 

Marinette rarely heard him speak of the other love in his life. He never mentioned who she was and she never dared ask. It was not her place to know unless he wanted her to know. This was something private; everyone is entitled to privacy for various things, and to Marinette, this was one he deserved to reserve for himself. She was never jealous of it; curious, yes, but never jealous. 

He lifted her hand up and kissed her knuckles ever so gently. “What I’m saying is that I’m so glad that you came in my life when you did. You have been the best thing to ever happen to me. You love me unconditionally, you take care of me, and protect me whenever you can. I could never imagine anyone better.” 

She smiled and returned the kiss on his hand. “I’ve told you before, Adrien, I will always be here for you and love you with all of my being. That will never change. I loved you since the first day we met. I will love you until I take my last breath.” 

He bent down and kissed her forehead. “Well good. Because I plan on loving you until my last breath.” 

The pair walked towards the Eiffel tower before heading back to the mansion. Conversations had stretched from the somber feeling of earlier in the day to the silliness of the week. They laughed and joked as they remembered Nino’s silly joke that he had told over lunch the previous day. Soon, the tension in Adrien’s shoulders released and he was back to his happy self. 

They were out for an hour before Marinette started to shiver a bit. Adrien looked down to the small girl, noticing how red her nose had become. He let out a boisterous laugh. 

Marinette, flustered looked up at him. “What are you laughing at?” 

He was laughing ridiculously hard. “Your nose is so red you look like Rudolph!” 

If looks could kill, her eyes would have thrown daggers. “You’re seriously laughing at my nose? How is it _that_ funny when you are laughing like a barking seal!” She mimicked a seal slapping her hands together like fins while barking like one. Of course, this only continued to make him laugh harder. 

“Oh man... Marinette... please... stop! I can’t breathe!” He spoke in broken sentences in between bouts of laughter. He was hunched over holding his stomach. 

“You should look at your nose! It’s just as red as mine, if not worse.” She crossed her arms and pouted a bit. 

Adrien just continued to laugh. Marinette, not wanting to let him have the last laugh decided she needed to end this now. While he was too busy not paying attention, she packed up some snow in her hands and whipped it right at his head. The plop was so worth the reaction because he stopped laughing and looked straight at her. “Oh, it’s on!” 

She squealed as he packed his own snowball and whipped it towards her. She was too quick for his actions and ducked from the impending hit. She gathered some more snow and whipped it back at him, hitting him in the arm. “You have to be faster than that!” 

They continued for some time, both laying hits to each other in quick fashion. Adrien wanting to win the war, lunged himself at her as she was about to throw the next snowball. The unexpected tackle caused a fit of laughter between the two. He kissed her nose before rolling off of her and laid in the snow. 

When the laughter finally died down, Marinette looked over to him. “People will think we’re dorks out here.” 

“So? Let them. I’m enjoying this.” He starts moving his arm and legs around to make a snow angel. 

Marinette shrugged her shoulders and joined in. “I bet mine is better than yours. I’m small and cute, and so my angel will be too!” 

Adrien let out a huffed laugh. “Are you making fun of my height now?” 

“Maybe.... You are a foot taller than me now. Angels are small and cute. You, not so much.” 

“You wound me, my dear.” He places a hand to his chest in mock hurt. He then takes a handful of snow and throws it at her. 

“Rude!” She yells back as she throws snow at him. They sit up for easier aim and banter back and forth before finally coming to a truce. 

“I believe it’s time that my red-nosed lady gets brought back home. It is getting late and I’m starting to get cold.” 

She laughs at his antics before agreeing with him. “Alright, fine. I’m cold anyways.” She holds her arms as if she were trying to warm herself up. A shiver crawls up her spine. “Plus, I think you got snow in my shirt!” 

He stifles a laughter as he helps her up. As he holds out his arm, she happily slides her arm through. “That was fun!” 

“I couldn’t agree more.” 


	6. Scarves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little Marichat moment.

Strips of fabric strewn across the room. A partially sewn dress was pinned against the mannequin. Sitting on the table was a half-finished sweater with knitting needles stabbed in the center of the ball of yarn. Dozens of crumbled pieces of paper lay around her sketchbook, which was flipped open to a new crochet pattern that was currently in the works. 

There she was sitting in her chaise, her hands meticulously crocheting the newest design. You could always tell when she was hyper focused; her tongue liked to poke out of the side of her mouth as she concentrated. 

Oh man, how he loves it when she gets this way. She was busy working, one hand held the yarn while the other weaved the crochet hook fed with black yarn in and out of loops. 

She was so focused that she didn’t notice a special little feline that was laying on her bed, hands propped up to hold his chin as he stared at her as she worked. 

He loves watching her work. While it is always so nice to see his girlfriend as Adrien, he also loved transforming into Chat Noir just to continue the fun friendship they developed over the years. It was his little secret, and he enjoyed seeing this side of her that is specifically reserved for friendships. 

He was so enamored in watching her, that he didn’t realize he let out a loving sigh. This promptly made Marinette stop her movement and subtly peep through her fringe only to see the silly cat laying on her bed. 

Marinette went back to crocheting, smirking a bit before responding. “Look what the cat dragged in. I didn’t realize the mangy stray needed a warm home.” 

Chat, realizing he had been caught, became wide-eyed. “Sorry to come in uninvited, princess, but this _purrfectly_ well fed kitty just thought he would come by and see one of his favorite civilians.” 

She stifled a laugh. “You know you are always welcomed here, kitty, but please knock next time. You wouldn’t want to see me in something less...” she looked up at him, “impractical.” 

He quickly sat up and blushed at the thought. “Yeah. Sorry. Won’t do it again.” He lifts up two fingers and places it over his heart. “Cat’s honors.” 

She giggles as she goes back to her design, finishing the last few lines of the black color before moving on to the red. 

“What are you making, Marinette?” 

“I am making a scarf for my best friend. She’s getting something Ladybug and Chat Noir inspired that I came up with earlier.” 

He smiled. Her love of design always came across in her eyes; those beautiful, bluebell eyes that make it look like you’re swimming in the ocean when you look deeply into it. 

“For Alya, right?” He asked like he was remembering as Chat. 

“Yep.” Popping the “p” as she said it. “The girl that runs the Ladyblog and is proud over it. You know, she still ships both you and Ladybug together no matter how many times I tell her you guys are best friends. She also collects anything that represents them in any way. So I designed a black scarf with red polka dots and green paw prints all over it.” 

“Can I see the design?” 

“Sure.” She quickly glances the sketchbook from her seat to see if the design of the present she was making for him was on the page. When she concluded it was safe, she motioned for him to go over and see it. 

“Whoa, Marinette. This is so cool!” Chat beamed. 

“Thanks. I came up with the design earlier while I was working on my dad’s present. I had to stop what I was doing to get started on the design.” 

All too quickly, and in a joking manner, he gestures to all the unfinished projects. “I can see that starting and stalling is one of your favorite things to do.” 

“Shush you, or you won’t get your present this year.” 

Chat places his palm over his mouth, mock shocked over her empty threat. “Rude.” 

“Says you.” 

He crosses his arms and moves his nose to the air. She only snorts in response. 

After seeing all the half-done projects and the fact that she barely stopped her crocheting to have an actual conversation, he thought it would be best to leave. He knew she was busy and didn’t want to interrupt her with their usual banter, snacks, and video game sessions when he was here, but he didn’t want to leave either. He just wishes he could flirt with her properly. 

An idea crosses his mind. “Could you- could you show me how to make a scarf?” 

Marinette stopped crocheting and slowly dropped the yarn and hook into her lap. She stares at him for a moment before smiling. 

“I would love to make one for my girlfriend for Christmas.” He says slyly. _Really, he would just keep it with him until the day he could f_ _inally_ _tell Marinette he was Chat Noir_ _._

She was excited to help him. It was so sweet of him to make something for his girlfriend. She’s been treating him so good lately that she deserved a handmade gift. And it would be something that he made? Swoon. She would love it. She would show him the easiest pattern, something that even a novice wouldn’t be able to mess up. 

“What’s her favorite color?” she asks as she walks towards her closet for supplies. 

“Pink. Kind of like the pink of your walls, actually.” He looks around the room. 

Marinette sorts through her piles of yarn and pulls out three shades of pink. One of them has a tri-color affect to the yarn, giving more personality once the maker creates a few feet of length. The second is just a plain pastel pink. The third has a pink with a thin silver tinsel streak in it. She shows Chat the three kinds for him to choose. 

“Which one do you like the most?” Chat asked. 

“I personally love this one.” She grabs the one with the silver tinsel. 

“Then that’s the one I’ll choose.” 

She places the unchosen yarn back in the closet and grabs a loom of black yarn for demonstration. She grabs two crochet hooks and hands one over to him. They sit on her chaise as she shows him how to work the yarn. 

“So hold you yarn like this and create a loop.” She starts. “Then you want to grab some of the yarn by twisting the hook and bringing it through the loop you just made.” 

Chat loops the yarn a bit and then watches her intently, copying her movements as she went along. 

She weaves the first line, being careful to count how many squares she created. 

“You always want to count to make sure you don’t mess up your lines.” 

When Chat completed making the first row of boxes, he looked up to her to move on to the next step. 

Marinette spent the next 20 minutes teaching him and watching him work the rows, helping remove any mishaps that he created. 

She was very skillful at crocheting this simple pattern and before long, she finished the scarf while Chat had only completed a third of the scarf. She moved back over to Alya’s gift, working in the green yarn to create the paw prints. 

Every so often, Marinette looked over to Chat to see how he was doing. A smile crept upon her lips in amusement when his concentration brought out his tongue. His brows furrowed when he realized an error and needed to go back a few boxes. 

Soon enough, a smile beamed across Chat’s face when he picked up his completed scarf and showed Marinette. 

“Chat, it looks great!” Marinette beamed along with him. “She’s going to love it.” 

“Thanks Marinette. I know she will.” He looked over to look at the time. “I would love to stay and make another scarf, but alas, it is my time to leave. Thank you for the lesson.” He grabs the pink scarf and makes his way towards the skylight. 

“Chat, wait.” Marinette called out as he walked up the ladder. “Here, I made the black scarf for you to match hers.” 

He smiled. “You’re seriously the best, Marinette. Merry Christmas if I don’t see you before then.” 

“Merry Christmas, kitty.” 


	7. Christmas Tree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien joins in on the Dupain-Cheng's family tradition of trimming the tree.

Christmas time is a very busy time of year for the Dupain-Cheng's bakery. Special orders tripled overnight for all the festivities the customers were planning. The amount of catering events Tom and Sabine needed to create treats for were overwhelming. This left little time for the family of three to really sit down and set out the Christmas decorations. 

Currently, the only decoration related to Christmas is the fireplace Marinette and Adrien created a week back. She wished that she could set the tree up and decorate the apartment, but it’s a family tradition to do it all together. 

Marinette sat at the kitchen table, tapping her fingers in a four-beat fashion as she waited for the kettle to whistle. She was busy thinking of all the presents she still needed to complete before Christmas. Her mind then switches to thinking about the bakery and how her schedule was packed with assisting her family in processing all those orders. 

So many thoughts continuously run through her mind on a loop. She was alone to wallow in her own spiral. Adrien was busy at a photo shoot and would come by later in the afternoon. Tikki was sleeping beside a plate of cookies the two were munching on earlier. Her parents were busy catering an event this morning and should be back soon. She was told the event wasn’t too busy or heavy in party attendees, so maybe, just maybe they could finally put the decorations up as long as they weren’t exhausted. 

The emptiness of the apartment was jarring. She only veered back to reality when the kettle whistled her awake. She grabs a mug and pours some hot water to the waiting tea bag. A spoonful of sugar was added for sweetness and she was back at the table ready to draw in her sketchbook. 

She sips some of her chamomile tea allowing her mind to relax a bit. A text from her parents came through and Marinette squealed in excitement. This promptly woke the sleeping god. 

“Tikki, my parents are coming home early! The event ended sooner than expected. Apparently, the hosts had hurt themselves dancing on a table...” She stared at her phone with a perplexed scrunch to her brows. “Hopefully they’re okay. That really puts a damper on a party.” 

Another text comes through as if they read her mind, “Yep! My parents say they are okay.” 

Marinette gets up and runs to the storage closet. 

“Marinette, what are you doing?” Tikki hovers over to her chosen as she watches her dig through the closet. 

“If my parents are coming home early, then maybe we can decorate! I’m grabbing everything and putting it all in the living room.” 

Another text comes through. Tikki scurries to the phone to see it was Adrien this time. 

“Adrien says his photoshoot is ending in a half hour. He is going to get cleaned up and head right on over.” Another ding. “Give him an hour.” 

Marinette couldn’t be happier. Both her parents and her boyfriend were coming home early and hopefully she can convince everyone to decorate. She doesn’t think it would take much to convince them, though. Even if she sets everything up herself and just had her parents sit with a hot cup of cocoa until it was time to put up the ornaments, then heck she was going to do just that. 

Before long, she got all the decorations out of the closet and into the center of the living room. She ran up to her room to grab her cute Christmas sweater, something Marinette always wore when she decorated. She also grabbed the Santa cap on her table and ran back down the stairs. 

As soon as she hit the last step, her front door sprung open with her maman and papa coming in. “Marinette! We’re home cupcake.” Tom said joyously. 

“We can see you were busy” Sabine said, gesturing to the decorations. 

“I was really hoping we could decorate the house today since you guys are home early. Plus, with it being Sunday, it means that the bakery is closed and you don’t have any other catering events today... I was thinking if you guys weren’t too exhausted, we could maybe decorate?” 

Tom looked over to Sabine, a simple smile confirming their decision on the matter. “We can certainly do that.” 

“Do you think we could wait for Adrien? He’ll be here within the hour and I thought it would be nice to include him in our traditions since he doesn’t seem to have any of his own.” 

Sabine placed a hand on Marinette’s shoulder, “Of course, dear. He’s family to us. It would be wonderful for him to join us.” 

\-----xoxox----- 

Adrien quickly cleaned up from the photo shoot and sprinted towards Marinette’s home. Luckily, the photoshoot wasn’t too far away and the photographer was happy with how his photos were coming out. 

Photoshoots were much easier since being with Marinette. His smile was more genuine and photos looked so much better than ever before. This made his photographer extremely happy and the photoshoots were over so much quicker because of it. 

Once he arrived, Tom picked Adrien up in a bear hug, literally carrying him into the living room. Marinette let out a laugh before walking up and giving him a peck on the lips. She placed the Santa hat on his head. 

Adrien grabbed a croissant from the table before looking at the decorations spilling from the boxes. 

“Are you guys going to decorate?” 

Marinette smiled at him. “Yes. It’s a family tradition to decorate the house together.” 

Adrien swallowed a little hard, then rubbed the back of his neck. “Oh, I can come back later. I don’t want to intrude on your tradition.” 

Marinette frowned. “No silly.” She grabbed his hands to help stop his nervous habit. “What did we tell you? You are part of our family. That means you are included in all our traditions. This one included.” 

Adrien smiles wide. “Okay.” 

Soon enough, Adrien was helping Tom set up the Christmas tree while Marinette placed the garland along the stair railings and Sabine decorated the kitchen. Once the men had completed the first step, Tom had Adrien string the lights and Tom placed the red garland around the tree. 

Together, the four decorators took turns placing the fun ornaments on the tree. Many were created by Marinette throughout the years, a few from travels to China, and others that were given by repeat customers that favored the family. 

When the last ornament was placed on the tree, Marinette slipped away to grab something in her room. Adrien and Sabine were busy speaking to each other in Mandarin to notice her departure. 

Marinette walked back down the stairs with a bright smile on her face. This prompted Adrien to excuse himself from Sabine and looked over to Marinette with a curious smile. It only worsened his curiosity when he could see she was hiding something behind her back. 

“Marinette, what do you have in your hands?” 

“What? I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said with a grin. 

Adrien kissed her nose. “Please?” He gave her some serious kitty eyes. 

Marinette handed him the surprise. “Fine. But only because you’re cute.” 

She hands the item over to him. His eyes widened with a surprise of countless emotions running through his face. It was an ornament – a red, square picture frame with a silver-plated banner across the bottom leg of the frame. On it, it said ‘Our Family 2019’ in cursive font. In the frame was a picture of Marinette and Adrien sitting in between Tom and Sabine on the couch. 

Tom had wrapped his arm around his wife, waiting for his reaction. Marinette, bouncing on her toes, waited eagerly for his reaction. 

Adrien lowered his head, most likely hiding the tears that were trying to fall from his eyes. He wouldn’t let it happen though. Marinette’s family had been nothing but amazing to him over the years. The love for him only grew when Marinette and Adrien started dating. 

“You guys are the family I had always wanted.” He looked around the room to the three. “Thanks for giving me my Christmas gift early.” 

With that, they all wrapped their arms around him, embracing him in a warm hug. 


	8. Mistletoe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien surprises and flusters Marinette all day long.  
> Lots of kissing!

Monday comes around all too quickly. Adrien lays awake in his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling before placing his arm over his eyes. Plagg is snoring loudly while cuddled up against Adrien’s messy mop of hair. He has been up for a while now, soaking up every moment of silence before Nathalie made her presence known. 

His mind was reeling. Marinette had been so sweet to him over the last few days. She had been giving him all these cute sentimental gifts, secretly helping Chat design a scarf that Adrien would eventually give her, bringing the Christmas spirit back into the mansion, and letting him be part of her family traditions. He has teared up so much over it all – more than he had in a long time. _Damn that amazing girl,_ he thought. 

He scratched behind Plagg’s ears, slowly nudging him awake. Plagg keeps his eyes closed while letting out a quiet purr. “What do you want kid? Why are you waking me up so early?” 

“It’s not that early, Plagg.” He looks to the time. “It five minutes to six. We have to get up soon to get to school.” 

“Yeah, but that’s ten more minutes that I can sleep.” Plagg says with a growl. 

“Listen. I need to do something fun for Marinette. She’s been so amazing. She’s made me feel so loved. I don’t know what to do.” 

Plagg continues to ‘sleep’. “You’ll figure it out kid. You always do.” 

“Thanks for the help.” He deadpanned before rolling out of bed. 

\-----xoxox----- 

The morning went as normal. He noticed that the weather was a bit warmer than the last few days giving Adrien the opportunity to walk to school instead of having his driver take him. The snow was slowly melting away giving way to the cobblestone roads before him. 

He passed by a flower shop, pausing to think if flowers would be a nice gesture for her. _More flowers? She loves flowers though..._ The internal struggle of a simple flower stopped him long enough to notice the mistletoe that hung above the doorway. An idea crossed his mind leading to the Cheshire cat grin that passed onto his lips. 

Plagg poked his head out of Adrien’s pocket long enough to ask why they stopped all of a sudden. When he noticed what his chosen was looking at, he grudgingly sighed back into the pocket. Plagg knew full well what Adrien was planning. He just didn’t care to hear about it at this moment. 

As Adrien made his way towards the bakery, Plagg’s curiosity got the best of him. “Even though I know what you are planning to do with that mistletoe,” Plagg scrunched up his face while adding in some gagging noises, “what great plan do you have for pigtails?” 

Adrien smirked. “I’m going to be that boyfriend who will make his girlfriend blush an obscene amount of times today. She made me cry happy tears over the last week. I have to pay her back somehow.” 

Plagg let out another wretched noise, really showing how grossed out he was. “You guys are disgusting with your mushiness. I'm hiding all day.” This only made Adrien laugh. 

He arrived at the bakery, saying good morning to Tom and Sabine as he waited for Marinette. A few minutes later, Marinette walked through the door kissing her maman and papa before reaching Adrien. 

“Good morning Adrien,” landing a quick kiss on his lips. 

“Morning, Marinette.” He leaned in a little more, prompting her to kiss another longer peck. 

When she pulled away, Marinette noticed Adrien holding a mistletoe above their heads. They could hear the snickers coming from the back room. 

Adrien giggles a bit before mocking a shocked look. “Oh man. Where did this mistletoe come from? Oh well. I guess we have to kiss again.” He shrugged his shoulders. 

Marinette tilted her head while eyeing him. He could see her mind was trying to decide if this was a quick joke or if he had a plan for the day. He internally laughed while smiling wide to her. Finally, she pecks a kiss to his lips before turning her way towards the door. 

When they arrived to school, Adrien stopped Marinette in front of the entrance. “Marinette, wait!” 

She turns to him only to see Adrien hover the mistletoe over their heads. 

She shakes her head at the gesture, only satisfying him with a chaste kiss to his lips before trudging inside without him. Adrien laughed before following her inside. 

Once they arrived at Mlle. Bustier’s classroom, he grabbed Marinette’s hand, causing her to turnaround. The mistletoe is held over their heads again. Marinette’s face started blushing a bit of pink on her cheeks. 

In between classes, he does it again... and again... and again. 

When the lunch bell rang, he holds her back to do it again. 

During lunch, after lunch, and in front of Mlle. Bustier’s classroom, Adrien teased her with kisses under the mistletoe. At this point, her face has turned as red as Ladybug’s suit. 

Marinette walked over to her desk only for her to drop her head against it. Alya and Nino gave the couple a look, scrunching up faces with a sarcastic disgust. 

“Get a room. You guys are gross.” Alya wagged a finger at them getting a laugh out of Nino. 

“He’s been doing this all day!” whines Marinette. “I swear it’s to spite me somehow.” 

Adrien is watching her squirm, enjoying every minute of it. “You have flustered me all week long. I believe it is my turn to fluster you, my dear.” His eyebrows wiggle in amusement, making use of his Chat-like charisma for a moment. 

It didn’t stop there. He continuously annoyed her this way for the rest of the day. 

She felt a sigh of relief when the last bell rang to dismiss the students for the day. She bolts out the door, only to hear Adrien, Alya, and Nino cackle at her quickness. 

Adrien finally reaches her outside the school, waiting for him to walk with her to her house. Her arms were crossed against her chest, tapping her fingers against her bicep as she stared daggers into his soul. A quick smirk was on her face, concerning Adrien if he had gone too far and she was plotting his death. 

He held out his hands in front of him, barring a quick “okay truce” look alongside his laughter. She calmed the tension in her arms, holding out her hand for him. 

When they reached her room, she placed her backpack down on the table before turning around to see him hold out the mistletoe again. This time Marinette decided to use her sneakiness to play his little game. She trudged over to him, placing her arms on his chest like she was going to kiss him passionately. She was close to his lips, waiting for him to close his eyes first before tackling him down and grabbing the mistletoe out of his hands. 

“Hey! Cheater!” 

She wiggled the mistletoe in a tease before going up to the skylight and wrapping it on the latch. 

Of course, Adrien assumed they would have a make out session on her bed, but that was not the plan. Instead, she booped him on the nose and sauntered to her desk to begin the school day’s course load. 

“We have homework to do, hot stuff.” 

When homework was done, Adrien smirked in her direction, only for her to come up with some random task that needed to be done. 

When that was done, she came up with the fact that she needed Adrien’s help cutting up fabric. He let out a frustrated sigh. 

When that was done, she came up with another task for him to separate the ribbon on her desk. 

The added tasks continued for another hour. It only added to his frustration, but he went along with it. _I guess it’s fair for the amount of kisses I annoyed her with today,_ he thought. 

Finally, when Marinette thought he had had enough, she called to him. “Alright, come on sunshine. Let’s go watch cat videos on my phone.” 

He only beamed with excitement. “Cuddles, kisses, and cat videos? Is this my treat for helping you today?” He quickly ran up the ladder and plopped on the bed. 

She giggled as she hopped onto the bed, embracing them both with a fluffy blanket. They spent the rest of the afternoon kissing under the mistletoe and watching silly videos until it was time for him to leave. 


	9. Stockings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The class makes stockings during a class event.

Marinette fumbled through her room, collecting all the materials needed for today. Back in November, Mlle. Bustier had asked Marinette if she would organize a stocking making event for their class, allowing the students to create special stockings for the classroom. Best of all, it would all be covered under the school budget as a team building exercise. 

Of course, Marinette being Marinette, couldn’t say no. She created a form to ask all her classmates what their favorite colors and designs were so she could prepare. Once she received the stipend and forms, she got to work. 

She asked Adrien and Alya for help with the cutting and pinning of the stockings, being careful and mindful of the designs she had in mind. They happily volunteered without hesitation. 

She had two boxes that were packed the night before – one of the premade stockings and the other with glue, glue guns, and decorations for the students to use. 

She continued to grab any last-minute items that crossed her mind, brushing her hair and teeth in between it all. She was so focused that she didn’t hear the hatch open allowing two smirking friends to watch her in her chaos. 

Adrien winked at Alya before shouting to Marinette, “I thought you were all ready?” 

Marinette let out a high-pitched squeak and jumped back two steps, dropping the hair brush and toothbrush in the process. Laughter from the two intruding friends filled the room. 

Marinette quickly recovered, only to cross her arms and pout at them in haste. “Rude.” A pink blush ran across her cheeks. 

This only added to the laughter. Adrien walked up and hugged Marinette to get her to come around. When she didn’t, he kissed her forehead before apologizing for the scare. 

She finally gave in and kissed him good morning. “Morning Alya.” She said with a pouty smirk. 

“Morning girl. Is everything ready to head to school?” 

She glanced at the boxes, mentally marking off the rest of her list. “Yup. Everything is in the boxes and ready to go.” 

Alya and Adrien grabbed the two boxes, the latter grabbing the heavier box. As they walked through the bakery, Marinette grabbed the box of treats she set aside for the class. It wouldn’t be a Marinette event if there weren’t treats from her parents’ bakery. When they were assured nothing was missing and everything was where it needed to be, they walked their way to school. 

\-----xoxox----- 

The class was buzzing over the excitement of the project. After speaking with Mlle. Bussier, It was determined that it would be best to get it out of the way at the start of the day to allow the project to finish drying. There may be parts that needed to be sewn in, and she didn’t want to ruin the placement on the way home. 

After the morning routine of roll call, passing in homework, and hearing of any immediate announcements, Marinette was called to pass out the stockings. 

She placed the box of supplies on the desk, placing everything in piles for students to grab after they grabbed their stocking. 

Marinette then grabbed the box of stockings and placed it on her desk, slowly calling each classmate up one by one. Each student oohed and awed at their personalized stocking, thanking the designer profusely before grabbing some supplies. 

The class soon filled with laughter and conversations and everyone worked meticulously on their stockings. Kim ended up gluing his hands together at one point, while Rose mistakenly dropped a small container of pink glitter. 

Adrien turned around, patiently waiting for his stocking. She smirked while staring in the box, teasing him a bit. 

“Oh no,” Marinette gasped and placed a hand to her mouth, “I forgot your stocking, Adrien!” 

Adrien’s smile dropped, really believing Marinette had forgotten the stocking in her chaos this morning. 

This only gave way to Marinette giggling in his direction and grabbing the stocking from the box. “You think I would ever forget you, sunshine?” She hands him the stocking. 

“I would never think you would, but for a second I thought that I distracted you enough this morning to forget.” 

She gave him a teasing stare. “Which is precisely why I made you sweat.” 

He stuck his tongue out at her before looking at the stocking. He stopped and stared, noticing something particularly special about this stocking. It was a black stocking, with green stitching along the sides. She embroidered his name into the collar in blues and greens. She dotted the “i” with a Ladybug emblem. On the stocking itself, she placed two little kittens wearing Santa hats. Even though he wrote on the form what he wanted, she added the kittens as a surprise. 

“Marinette! These are _paw_ -sitively adorable!” He beamed. 

Marinette smiled while internally processing what he said. Since being with Adrien, there were many moments where the lines blurred between her boyfriend and her best friend. She questioned if Adrien could be Chat Noir just from the puns alone. She knew Chat had a rough home life, just like Adrien. They were both blond, green eyes... no. No. She wouldn’t spiral and think about this. 

Especially not right now. Not at school. 

Since becoming the guardian three years ago, she wanted to know who her partner was. Tikki and Wayzz had encouraged her to do it. They said it would further strengthen the bond they had formed. But her fear overtook the rational of revealing themselves and she decided she just wasn’t ready. Chat, being the amazing partner that he was, understood and never pushed the subject. He would just wait and fight alongside her until the end. 

For the next hour, the students worked on their stockings, only prompting help from Marinette every so often. She completed her stocking at home during the creation process, allowing Marinette to be available for help and cleanup. 

As the classmates finished their designs, they placed the finished stockings on the empty table in the back to dry before grabbing a pastry for a job well done. 

Marinette walked over to the table to see the stockings. It seemed that everyone worked with easy supplies that Marinette didn’t need to bring any home to sew. She mentally thanked everyone for that. 

She smiled at the handiwork. Everyone put their personalities into their stockings. Each one was colorful and heavily decorated with pins, glitter, and ribbons. 

Adrien noticed the fondness in his girlfriend’s eyes. He grabbed a pastry from the box, and walked over to her. He kissed her on the temple as he handed her the pastry. “Everyone did great. You’re amazing for getting this all together.” He leaned down to her ear to whisper. “But I think mine wins the cutest design. I love the little kittens on my stocking. Thank you.” 

She kissed his cheek. “Your fascination with kitties is cute. Santa kitties are even cuter.” 

“Does that make me the cutest?” 

“Maybe...” Marinette smirks before walking away. 

He scoffed at the lack of acknowledgement as he watched her walk away. “Rude!”


	10. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien makes an adult decision.

Adrien had taken off to a photoshoot soon after school let out. Marinette slowly finished packing all the items from the class event and was soon ready to head home. Luckily, the box that contained the supplies was not as heavy as it was this morning. 

Nathaniel walked over to Marinette, noticing that she was alone and that Adrien was nowhere to be found. 

“Hey, Marinette.” 

“Hey, Nathaniel.” Marinette had a curious smile. “Did you like your stocking? Was it the way you wanted it?” Everyone really loved their designs, but she always liked to triple check. She would hate it if someone was unhappy and never mentioned it. 

Nathaniel sighed a little chuckle. “I loved it. You designed it in the colors I wanted and even added a pen to the end of my name. It looked like we caught a ghost in the middle of writing.” 

Marinette and Nathaniel briefly laughed at the thought. The artist handed Marinette a square cardboard folder. “Actually, I wanted to hand you the commission you asked me to create for Adrien.” 

Marinette beamed. Adrien and Marinette have discussed his possible move for months now. But every time the topic was brought up, Adrien would second guess everything and his mind would freeze up. It reminded her of all the times her mouth would malfunction around him that first year he started school. 

She had to calm him down from the spiral, reminding him that this was not a topic that needed to be discussed right now and they could always bring it up when he was ready. He could always stay at home during university if it was something he wanted. The choice was his and his alone. But Marinette would sit there and allow him to talk it out with her a million times if he needed to. 

Marinette pulled the artwork out of the folder and gasped. “Oh Nathaniel, this is absolutely amazing. I couldn’t have asked for anything better.” 

“Is he finally moving out?” Nathaniel asked quizzically. 

“The decision hasn’t been made. I actually don’t know when he will make that decision. But when he does, I want to surprise him with this. He deserves something sweet to congratulate him on it.” 

Nathaniel smiled sweetly at Marinette. “He’s lucky to have you. I hope he loves it.” 

Marinette smiles as she places a hand on his arm. “Thanks Nathaniel. This means a lot to me.” 

\-----xoxox----- 

As soon as Adrien was able to, he scurried over to Marinette’s house. The photoshoot took a lot longer than he wanted to and the photographer frustrated him to no end. 

It didn’t help that Nathalie was breathing down his neck with statements his father couldn’t relay himself. It’s not like he would show up to the photoshoot and state everything himself, but it would be nice to have an actual conversation with him every once in a while. The loneliness is suffocating to say the least. Seeing Marinette would certainly brighten up his mood. 

She was busy up in her room working on the last of her Christmas gifts. Adrien poked his head through the hatch, quietly watching her work. He slowly walked towards her, leaning down to kiss her on the top of her head. 

“Hey, hot stuff.” Marinette looked up to him with a sleepy smile. 

He leaned back down to peck her lips with a longer kiss. “Hey. You have no idea how happy I am to see you.” 

“Rough afternoon?” 

“I think it’s passed the rough stage.” 

“Then how about we cuddle on the chaise with some hot cocoa?” 

“I like that idea. Plus, your maman handed me some pastries before pushing me up the stairs. Hot cocoa sounds really nice with it.” 

Adrien wasn’t in the mood for videos or video games. He just wanted to enjoy the quietness with the love of his life. It wasn’t very often they sat in silence, but today it was welcoming. 

Hot cocoas steaming in their mugs, a warm cuddly blanket on the chaise, pastries on their laps... it was perfect. Adrien wrapped his arm around Marinette pulling her close to his chest. She snuggled into his side, smiling. She could feel some tension in his arms, but she knew it was best to wait it out. 

His mind was reeling over the photoshoot. It didn’t usually bother him, but Nathalie’s relaying of information reminded him of how alone he was. Heck, over the last few weeks, the feeling of loneliness from the lack of presence of his father just multiplied as Marinette’s family really took him in. Adrien could only sigh heavily. 

“Marinette...” Adrien said softly. “Would it be wrong for me to move out only because I was sick of being alone?” 

“You mean leaving the loneliness of your home to move to a place that you can be alone and make your own rules? I don’t think it’s wrong.” 

“I know I will be alone. But, you’re right. I can make my own rules. You, Nino, Alya... anyone could come by whenever they wanted to. Yes, I will be alone, but knowing that people are allowed at the house makes the idea much more tempting.” 

Adrien paused a bit before continuing. “The photoshoot today was rough in general. The photographer was never happy with any of the shots, making me redo every pose multiple times. It just frustrated me. But that is normal model stuff. What added to the stress was that Nathalie was there. Father had words about my schedule, school, and upcoming things that I needed to be part of, but just like every time, he wasn’t there. Nathalie was the one to state everything on Father’s mind.” 

Marinette continued to listen, intertwining her fingers with his to help keep his mind at bay before his thoughts spiraled. 

“I know I’m always alone. I haven’t had a conversation with him in about a month. The last time we had any meal together was three weeks ago for breakfast, but he had his paperwork with him and didn’t even bother saying a word.” 

“I hate how you are so alone all the time.” Marinette stated sadly. 

“Honestly, the only time I really feel happy is when I am with you and your family. Of course, my friends contribute to it, but you really make me feel like I belong somewhere.” 

She leaned up and kissed his cheek. “You know you’ll always have a home here.” 

“I know. But I think I’ve made my decision. Once we graduate, I’m going to spend a few weeks looking for a place to move to. I’ll move right before the semester starts at the university.” 

“You seem completely at peace over the idea.” Marinette smiled. She could feel the built-up tension was now gone. 

“I am.” Marinette looked up at him with a knowing look. “I meant it when I said you make me feel loved and happy. I don’t want to rush you at all, but I was wondering if you wanted to move in with me?” 

Marinette leans up on her elbow, allowing her to look at him at eye level. “You- you really want me to move in with you?” 

“Marinette, I love you. One day I want to marry you. I will be moving out, that decision is final for me. But this is not a decision you have to make today. I won’t be hurt either way. You’ll always be welcomed at my place... actually, I'll even give you your own key. I was just thinking, I hate leaving you and –” 

Marinette stopped his ramblings with a kiss. A few seconds later, she left his lips and placed her forehead against his. She caressed his cheek before leaning down to his lips. She whispered, “I would love to move in with you,” before kissing him a little longer. 

When they parted ways, a smile spread across both their faces. Marinette got up from the chaise and giggled when she heard a sad whimper coming from Adrien. She walks over to her trunk and grabs the gift, turning around and handing it to him. 

“A little gift for making your first decision to adulthood. I think it would look amazing in our apartment.” 

Adrien opens the gift. Nathaniel had painted a portrait of Marinette and Adrien. They were holding hands, their foreheads touching. You could see the love oozing from their looks alone. In the foreground was silhouette of a home, painted in watercolors of reds, blues, greens, and pinks. Along the bottom of the portrait was the phrase, _The Adventures Our Hearts_ _W_ _ill Take Us._ Adrien could only smile, a questioning look of wonder as he looked to her. 

“Call it a hunch. I just had a feeling this would happen.” 

Adrien was speechless. All he could muster was to embrace her tightly. 


	11. Secret Santa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The class has a Secret Santa event!

A few days ago, the class decided and voted on participating in Secret Santa. They were all really excited to create or buy something special for one of their friends in the class. Everyone secretly hoped that Marinette would choose their name, knowing very well that she would hand craft the gift to fit their personality. 

Some of the boys, Nino being the worst of it, hoped that Adrien would choose their name knowing that he could gift something expensive. Never mind the fact that their exchange actually had a monetary cut off. But that didn’t stop them from hoping. 

As the names were drawn out, there were moments of excitement from some selected people, while others held their head trying to figure out exactly what to buy for their chosen name. 

Marinette was holding her breath hoping that she didn’t end up with Chloe or Lila’s names. She slowly peaked at the name and let out a relieved sigh when she received Nathaniel’s name from the hat. She was already coming up with designs in her head for an apron, satchel, and pencil pouch combo for him in his favorite colors. She couldn’t wait to get home to design some concept art in her sketchbook. 

She was worried on who got her name, but she wouldn’t try to dwell on it now. 

When Adrien retrieved his tag, he was excited to see the name. He smiled so bright, it actually dulled down his blonde locks. It was Marinette’s name! Sure, it probably wasn’t fair he got his own girlfriend’s name in the draw, but he was excited because he could do something for her. She has been making him feel so loved over the last few days that he knew he could pay her back somehow. But how? 

“I can see you got someone good, dude.” Nino said jokingly. “Care to say who it is?” 

“No man. It’s a secret! I mean it is Secret Santa, right?” he teased. 

Alya came up behind Nino and propped her elbow on his shoulder. “If his smile says anything, then he probably got Marinette.” 

Marinette was too busy thinking of the designs to realize they were talking about her. 

Trying to get her of his tail, he comes up with a witty response. “I like everyone in class, Alya. I am just really excited to buy for this person since I haven’t been able to repay them back for their kindness recently. And plus, Marinette is my girlfriend. I can buy her whatever I want every day if I wanted to!” 

“Alright, lovebird. You’re good.” Alya said with a laugh. 

\-----xoxox----- 

Adrien headed home after school instead of going to Marinette’s house. He knew she wanted to get started on her Secret Santa gift so he took the opportunity to work on his. 

She cherished the handmade lucky charm he made her for her 14th birthday. She still keeps it on her to this day. He knew a handmade gift was the perfect choice for this gift. But what? 

He walked around his room, yelling out ideas before mentally scratching them off his list. Plagg was becoming increasingly annoyed at his chosen’s indecisiveness. A wedge of Camembert later and he was happily hiding in the trash can ignoring Adrien’s antics. 

He was close to giving up when he heard his phone buzz. Looking down, he saw Marinette’s name with a text. 

**Marinette:** I miss you, dork. I wish you were here with me. 

**Adrien:** You miss me already? It’s only been three hours. 

**Marinette:** Well, you didn’t walk me home today. :p 

**Marinette:** I’ve just been enjoying our extra cuddles lately that I feel a bit lonely right now. 

**Adrien:** Are you taking a break from creating your gift? 

**Marinette:** I already designed everything and cut out all the fabric. I’m just taking a break before sewing it all. 

**Adrien:** Lucky. I haven’t even started... 

**Marinette:** Do you need help? Maybe I can help you come up with an idea? 

**Adrien:** Sorry, sweet pea. I need to figure this one out on my own. I’ll get it. 

**Marinette:** Oh, okay then. 😊 

**Marinette:** Sorry Adrien, Maman is calling me down for dinner. I’ll call you later. 

**Adrien:** Enjoy. I love you. :-* 

**Marinette:** I love you too <3 

As Adrien sat there looking over the texts, the idea hit him like when he gets hit to the side of a building during an akuma attack. _Yeah, those hurt._ He could make her one of those _Remember Me_ bears! He remembered hearing about those when he was looking for comfort after his mom died. A bear made with the loved ones cherished clothing piece. It would help Marinette whenever she needed extra cuddles when he wasn’t around. She could hug the bear, smell him, and think of him. It was perfect! 

He quickly dove to his computer, opening up the search engine looking for templates to cut out the design. Once he found the exact size and design he was looking for, he printed everything out and went straight into his closet. 

Searching around for a shirt suitable for the bear was a little harder than he thought. He wanted to find the perfect item, one that will scream _Adrien_ when she sees it. That’s when he found it. Discarded in the way back corner of the closet, almost never to be found again, was one of his shirts from when they first met. 

“Wow. I’m surprised this was even back here. But it’s perfect!” 

Not wanting to mess this up, he decided to see Nathalie. Maybe she could give him pointers or direct him to someone who could help. He gathered the shirt and template and head out his room. 

But instead of bumping into Nathalie, he bumped into his Father. 

“What’s this Adrien?” Gabriel asked curiously as he saw the items in his hands. 

“Our school is participating in Secret Santa and I received Marinette’s name. I tried to think of what I could make her since she makes me so many wonderful things. Today, she mentioned she missed me and I thought I could make her a teddy bear with one of my shirts. This way if I am unavailable, she could always have a piece of me whenever she needs me.” 

Gabriel looked at his son before smirking his lips up into a smile. “That is a lovely gesture, Adrien. Do you need some help with creating this gift?” 

Adrien beamed. He couldn’t believe his father was being nice, praised his idea, _and_ offered his assistance. _Was this a Christmas miracle?_ He wasn’t even going to question it. He was going to just take it and run with it. “Yes, Father. I would love the help!” 

\-----xoxox----- 

On the day of the exchange, everyone was conversing around the classroom, giddy and delighted over the party they were having this morning. As students flurried in, they placed their presents on their desks, hovering over the pastries and punch that sat on Mlle. Bussier’s desk. 

Once the teacher called the class and the chatter died down, Mlle. Bussier took attendance and discussed how their day would go. Scurries of excited feet could be heard in the otherwise quiet classroom, eagerly waiting for her to start the gift exchange. 

“Okay, okay, students. We can start. I will choose one student who will then give their gift to their Secret Santa. Then that person will move on to the next, then to the next, until everyone has received their present. Once everyone receives their gift, you are then free to open them. Ready?” 

Everyone nodded in excitement. 

“Mylene, could you please start?” 

Mylene handed her gift to Juleka. Juleka gave a bag to Max, who then gave a box to Kim. Kim had a package for Alya and Alya had a bag for Alix. Alix gave a box to Rose, who then gave a bag to Lila. Lila handed Ivan a small envelope, who then gave Sabrina a large box. Sabrina, of course, had an obnoxiously large gift for Chloe, and Chloe had a small gift for Nino. Nino then gave his gift to Mylene. 

“Did anyone not receive or exchange their gifts yet?” Mlle. Bussier asked. 

Marinette, Adrien, and Nathaniel raised their hands. Mlle. Bussier called to Marinette to restart the flow. 

Marinette handed Nathaniel his wrapped box, who then gave Adrien a square box. This allowed Adrien to turn around and hand Marinette her bag. 

“I knew it! Lover boy had his girlfriend.” Alya pointed a finger at Adrien with a sarcastic grin. 

“Hey I needed you off my tail.” Adrien crossed his arms. 

As soon as the teacher allowed them to, the students ripped through their gifts, oohing and awing at the items. Marinette smiled sweetly at Adrien before opening up the bag. Her eyes welled up with tears. As she pulled out the bear, she tried to form the words. “Is this- is this the shirt you had worn when we first met? And you made him into a cuddle bear for me?” 

Adrien could only nod before Marinette jumped to her feet to hug him. “I love it! I now have you with me whenever I need you!” She sniffed the bear. “It even smells like you!” 

“You seriously win in the romance department, lover boy.” Alya said deadpanned. 

“Merry Christmas, Marinette.” Adrien smiled to her lovingly. 

She kissed his cheek. “Merry Christmas, Adrien.” 


	12. Cookies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom and Adrien bake cookies together.

Adrien’s fencing class had ended but he was not in the mood to go home. He was finally able to meet with his father and announce that he would be moving out before the summer ended. Adrien knew it wouldn’t go that great, but he didn’t realize it would prompt a very disgruntled Gabriel and speaking in a more colorful language than Adrien was used to. Marinette’s parents, on the other hand, were much more ecstatic over the news. It only made his decision in leaving so much easier. 

Adrien took his time getting himself ready to leave. Marinette had class representative duties that would keep her for a few hours longer, but she had told Adrien to head over to the bakery and wait for her there. 

Tom and Sabine were both smiling to see Adrien walking through the door. 

“Adrien, son!” Tom beamed. “Marinette told us you would be coming by. We are in the process of making a variety of cookies. Would you like to help us? You get to eat all the ones that don’t make the cut.” 

Adrien smiled excitedly. Getting to help bake was one of his favorite things to do. It was a stress reliever for him and he loved to spend time with her parents. It would also make the time move faster before Marinette came home. Plus, getting to eat all the cookies he wanted? Sign him up. 

He grabbed an apron, ready to do whatever Tom instructed him to do. 

“We will be making 12 varieties of cookies.” 

Adrien went wide eyed. “Wow, twelve?” He was still not used to the busyness of the bakery during the Christmas season. 

“Ha!” Tom slapped his large hand against Adrien’s back. “This is a small order compared to normal. You just walked in on a slow day!” 

Adrien let out a nervous chuckle. He never knew how Tom and Sabine could work the bakery with just the two of them alone. They are one of the best bakeries in Paris, and the love Tom puts into his baking really shows through. 

“Adrien, go on and grab that large bag of flour.” Tom pointed in the direction of the bags. “Bring it over to the large mixer over there and measure out 10 cups of flour. Remember to level out the scoops before placing it in the bowl. Baking is precise measurements. If you put too much, the cookies will come out doughy. Put too little, and the cookies will be thin.” 

“I’ll take care of it, M. Dupain.” Adrien grabbed the heavy bag with ease. His strength from being a superhero really helped in situations like this. He was able to pick up heavier items without much of a struggle. He plopped the bag onto the table, forgetting that doing so would create a dust cloud of powder in the air, most of which covered his face. 

He pursed his lips at the unfortunate event, letting out small coughs from the dust. Tom only looked over and chuckled at the boy. 

Before long, Adrien had dusted himself off and measured out the 10 cups of flour. As he finished the first set, Tom had asked Adrien to measure out another few cups for the macaroons. 

“M. Dupain? What kinds of cookies are we making?” 

“The first batch you measured for will be chocolate chip, white chocolate chip, white chocolate macadamia nut, and peanut butter chip. For the batch you are working on right now will be for the strawberry macaroons with vanilla buttercream filling, chocolate macaroons with chocolate mousse filling, and pistachio macaroons with vanilla bean filling. Once those are all measured out, we will then start on the sugar cookies, cinnamon sugar cookies, gingersnaps, and gingerbread cookies. The last will be triple chocolate brownie cookies.” 

Adrien could feel his mouth watering. So many delicious flavors that he couldn’t wait to try when he had the chance. His father would have an aneurysm if he knew how indulgent Adrien became when the sweets passed his hands. Gabriel or Nathalie could never truly know how many sweets he really ate when he was here. If it wasn’t for running around chasing akumas all the time, he would be spending all his days at the gym. 

Tom really enjoyed Adrien’s company. It was nice to have another man in the kitchen laughing and making puns alongside him. Adrien enjoyed it too. His puns made Tom laugh harder than Ladybug ever had (and she had admitted to loving them a few years ago as long as he didn’t do it during battles). Marinette was used to it by this point, but Tom's boisterous laughs always made the joke ten times better. 

When all the cookies had completed the mixing stage, Tom taught Adrien how to scoop and form the cookies. It isn’t just tossing the cookies onto the sheet pan and hoping for the best. There was a trick to getting it just right and placing it in the oven in the correct direction. Even the timing was exact. Cooking was a science, and science was Adrien’s favorite subject. 

Maybe that’s why Adrien enjoyed baking so much. Everything working together in harmony, chemical components with baking powder and liquids allowing certain cookies to rise (or fall if the measurements weren’t precise), and even the way the baking had to be done had to be exact. Tom had to hypothesis, trial, and test every product he placed on his menu. He was a glorified baking scientist. 

In between the baking, Tom had Adrien sample new flavors he was working on for the new year. “How do you make time to create these ideas when you’re so busy?” Adrien asked while licking the spoon. 

Tom kneaded the dough while thinking of his response. “Baking is fun. But sometime my creativity gets the best of me. I may be busy with many orders at a time, but experimenting is what makes my days so much better.” He flips the dough over. “Experimenting takes days at a time. One day, I could be baking a pie and the idea will hit me. I will write down the idea and go back to work. The next time I work with one of the specific flavors in the idea, I will put some aside and play around with the flavors in between baking and cleaning.” 

Adrien watched Tom with curiosity. “No wonder Marinette has such passion in her designs. Every time an idea pops into her head, she has to go write it down. She spends so many hours working on her designs. And yet she always has time to stop and create new designs. She is definitely your daughter.” Adrien lets out a chuckle. “But I still don’t know how you do it. Both you and Mdm. Cheng are always so busy.” 

“Most days are not as busy as others. We have our days and times that we work harder than others. We know what kinds and how many pastries we need to keep on hand at all times. Like the croissants. They are our best sellers so we make sure they are all out in the display cases at all times. There are certain pastries we only make during the holidays. Time is valuable, Adrien. You just need to know how to use your time wisely and make the most of it.” 

Adrien nodded his head in agreement. Tom was extremely passionate in his work. You could see it in the way he talked. 

\-----xoxox----- 

Marinette walked into the bakery in a flustered mess. The meeting went longer than it needed to, and a lot of items on her list had to be compromised in one way or another. She was just glad it was over. 

She could hear laughing coming from the kitchen and sauntered through the door. A smile pressed upon her lips when she saw Adrien rolling out dough for the next batch of croissants. He was covered in flour from head-to-toe but his bright smile really shown through. Tom and Adrien were competing against each other on who had the best puns. 

She leaned against the doorway, the men still unaware of her presence. 

“All you _knead_ is love!” Adrien announced and he molded the dough, getting a laugh from Tom. 

Tom grabbed a tray of hot cookies from the oven. “I won’t _drop it like it’s hot_!” Adrien laughed a little harder. 

“And _muffin_ compares to you.” Marinette punched in, causing a roar of laughter from the gentlemen. She grabs an apron, ready to knead some dough to release the stress from her body. “Having a pun-tastic time?” 

“Now that you added your puns to the _mix_ ?” He wiggles his eyebrows at the pun. “We couldn’t have asked for a better _weirdough_.” 

She giggled. “I love you two dorks.” 

Tom and Adrien looked at each other before turning to her. They both grinned widely before saying in unison, “your dorks!” 


	13. Reindeer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Santa's Village at the Trocadero leads to a funny encounter with reindeers.

It was a blustery Saturday morning; a dusting of snow had fallen overnight coating the sidewalks with a thin layer of frost. There was a market event called Santa’s Village taking place at the Trocadero Gardens that Adrien, Marinette, Alya, and Nino had wanted to go check out. Crafters, farmers, and herders all participated in the event, allowing Parisians the opportunity to enjoy some delicious handmade treats or purchase any last-minute handmade Christmas gifts for their loved ones. 

Tom and Sabine always participated at this event. It was one that they particularly loved as they were able to get away from the bakery for a day all while enjoying the crisp chill air (according to Tom at least; the bakery could get quite warm at different points of the day). They also enjoyed handing out treats to all the shoppers that perused the grounds. It was also an opportunity for Tom to bring new flavor offerings that everyone could sample and comment on. 

Luckily, Marinette did not need to assist her parents in the event until part way through the morning. This event became a little busier when the day warmed up a bit and the shoppers that disliked the cold could walk around. This allowed her to be with her friends and enjoy the event before saying goodbye to her friends to assist. This year, Adrien was also asked to help if he was available. This only made him reschedule any afternoon plans just to help out her family. 

Adrien arrived at Marinette’s home early, hoping the late sleeper was actually awake. Her maman and papa had already left to set up their booth leaving Marinette to wake up on her own. Ultimately, this meant that she was either awake working on some design or that she was still sleeping the morning away. 

Not waiting to see what she could be up to, he knocked loudly on the door to the home and waited for any sounds of life. Finally, he could hear some ramblings, a squeak, a sudden thud with a quick ‘I’m okay!’, before hearing the door unlock. Adrien could only laugh when the door opened to the blue-eyed girl with disheveled hair and a sleepy look to her eyes. 

“I’m awake,” she stated with a yawn. 

“Sure, love, and I’m the king of France.” 

“Ha. Ha.” Marinette said, deadpanned. “Come on in. I’m just in the middle of getting ready.” 

Adrien could only look up and down at his sleepy girlfriend, noticing she was still wearing her pajamas, wearing only a sock on her foot. Her hair wasn’t combed, but he could see that she at least brushed her teeth – little remnants of blue toothpaste left on the side of her lips. 

Moments like this make him love her so much more. She was completely comfortable around him now, not allowing this funny look to embarrass her. He remembered all those moments where her frustrations got the best of her so long ago. The cute events that made him realize how much she really meant to him. He was so oblivious back then, but not anymore. He adored this. 

Marinette pointed to the kitchen counter, a pile of pastries waiting for the two to enjoy together. “I’m going to finish getting ready. There’s coffee on the pot if you want some, and you are welcome to any pastries.” She kissed his cheek. “I will be right back. Alya and Nino will meet us here. Could you let them in when they get here?” 

“Sure, love. I’ll take care of it. It’s cold out, so dress warm.” 

She could only pout. She really hated the cold. It only got worse as the years with the miraculous gave her more of her kwami’s tendencies – meaning: bugs can’t handle the cold, and that meant neither could she. 

Adrien was enjoying a bite of a croissant when Nino and Alya arrived. Soon after, Marinette bolted down the stairs greeting their friends with content. “Grab a pastry. My parents left plenty!” 

“You don’t have to tell me twice!” Alya stated while Nino grinned as he grabbed a strawberry danish. 

Soon enough they were all bundled up, ready to head to the event. 

\-----xoxox----- 

The four friends arrived to the Trocadero, stopping to soak in the view. The entire garden was filled with decorated booths and countless little makeshift homes, each resembling a space an elf could live or work in in the North Pole. Everything was breathtakingly beautiful and the dusting of snow only contributed to that effect. 

Conversations filled the air as they walked up and down the many rows. Alya and Nino needed to purchase a few items for their families and were able to mark those items off their list rather quickly. 

“The makers here are so talented.” Alya said excitedly. “I’m so glad we came. Everything here in one spot was a perfect idea.” 

Nino and Adrien nodded in agreement, also holding bags of their own purchases. Marinette smiled, her mind wandering due to the cold. From the corner of her eye, she noticed a pen with particularly cute animals eating bales of hay. 

Adrien noticed the loving smile; the same one she gets when she notices something adorable. He wraps his arm around her, both to warm her up and to gesture her towards the animals. 

Alya and Nino followed them, awing at the cuteness in the pen. There were some sheep, a horse, and a donkey just minding their own business. Every once in a while, the horse turned to the bystanders hoping that someone had a delicious apple to chew on. Hiding in the corner were two reindeer snuggling together as they ate some straw. 

Marinette had meandered over to them ever so slowly, not wanting to scare them with her presence. They looked to her without being afraid, allowing Marinette to pet their snouts. Adrien took the reindeer’s comfort in the action as his queue to do the same. 

Nino looked at the reindeer before crouching down to bend the stiffness of his legs from standing too long. Before he could get up, he could feel something uncomfortably heavy sitting on the top of his head. As he tried to look up to see what it was, coldness reached his ears as he realized the creature had stolen his hat. 

“Dude!” Nino could only stare in shock, his hands covering his head. He quickly grabbed the cap from the reindeer, merely avoiding the precious hat from being ruined. “Not cool, my man.” 

The three friends laughed hysterically at the interaction. 

Marinette looked at her watch to see that they would need to part ways soon. As they finished the last row of homes, they noticed a small line to the jolly old man sitting on the large chair. 

Marinette smiled as a thought crossed her mind. “Anyone want to take a photo with Santa Claus?” 

Adrien furrowed his brow at the question. “Aren’t we a little old for this?” 

“Come on. It would be fun! Haven’t you ever taken a photo with Santa before? Anyways, I would like to have one taken with my three best friends.” 

Adrien frowned a bit. “Actually, no. Father never allowed me to do it. Didn’t work for his ‘brand’.” Adrien grumbled a bit as he air-quoted the word “brand”. 

Alya, Nino and Marinette looked at each other with mutual determination. 

“That settles it!” Marinette grabs Adrien’s hand before heading towards the line. “We are all taking a photo. And you will be sitting in Santa’s lap. No exceptions!” 

Adrien laughed at her excitement. So he felt a little old doing this, but she’s right. He has never had the opportunity to do this. 

When they reached Santa Claus, the couples took turns sitting on his lap before taking a group photo. Adrien sat on Santa’s lap in both photos, Nino mirroring him in his own photos. They all enjoyed the interaction, Santa included with a boisterous jolly laugh. “Merry Christmas!” 

When they received their photos, Alya and Marinette hugged while Nino and Adrien fist bumped their goodbyes. 

“Alright, so that was fun.” Adrien laughed as he thought of the photos. 

“I told you!” Marinette gleamed. “Now let’s head to Maman’s and Papa’s booth. They want us to pass out their newest flavor of hot cocoa!” 

“Mmmm.” was the only thing Adrien could muster up before being dragged by Marinette. 


	14. Candy Canes

Tom and Sabine were busy with hungry customers, all waiting for a delectable treat. The bakers had planned and baked up a storm in hopes to keep up with the rush of the customers. They wouldn’t have the use of their ovens to bake extras throughout the day, so bringing plenty was a necessity. It wasn’t unusual for them to over bake for an event. Most times they only brought back a small handful of untouched goodies. There were very rare occasions when they would actually come home sooner than expected when the treats all but left their hands in a hurry. 

Sabine caught the sight of the two teens, waving them over for help. “We’ve been busy! You came at just the right moment.” She said with glee. “Take these two trays. Please be careful. The hot cocoa is very hot. We wouldn’t want you to get scalded by it.” She turned to Marinette with a knowing smile causing Marinette to blush in slight embarrassment. 

“I haven’t been a klutz like that in years!” 

“Except this morning...” Adrien added slyly as he thought about the loud thud he had heard prior to Marinette answering the door. 

Marinette scoffed and slapped his arm in a sarcastic retaliation. Sabine and Adrien chuckled. 

“What kind is it, Mdm. Cheng?” Adrien asked as he grabbed his tray. 

“It’s candy cane flavored hot cocoa! Tom came up with the idea after your evening making cookies.” 

Adrien remembered the conversation the two men had. Tom had asked Adrien to break apart some candy canes to decorate the gingerbread cookies. Adrien took a few and popped them in his mouth after blurting out how he wished he could drink some of Marinette’s famous hot chocolate. Tom must have gotten the idea when Adrien nonchalantly mentioned the two kinds of sugary treats in the same sentence. 

Tom could see Adrien smiling from where he was at the stand. “Thank you for the idea Adrien!” Tom shouted. “Sabine, could you please hand both kids a cup to try it out. I would love their opinion. Plus, I think they would like to warm up a bit in this chilly weather.” 

Adrien and Marinette looked to each other in excitement. Marinette’s hot chocolate was a true delectable treasure in the Dupain-Cheng household. She took Tom’s already amazing recipe and put her own twist to it. Even Tom relished in the deliciousness and complimented the chef for _taking the cake_. But of course, this was her secret recipe and she had yet to tell a soul. Either way, Tom’s hot cocoa is still as delicious as ever and they couldn’t wait to warm up with the new flavor. 

As Sabine went back to work, the duo took a sip of their cups, soaking in every bit of the warm goodness. 

Marinette closed her eyes as she savored the taste. “Oh, papa! This is absolutely amazing.” 

“M. Dupain, you outdid yourself! This is delicious. I think it actually blew my favorite cinnamon flavored hot cocoa out of the water.” 

Tom enjoyed the compliments. Marinette could be his biggest critic besides his wife, and Adrien was slowly becoming the same. He needed honesty when new treats were created and he knew he could count on the three. But in the end, the customers will always be the deciding factor on whether the treats will end up on the menu. 

Adrien and Marinette split ways with the trays of the hot chocolates. As they walked around the Trocadero, continuing to keep close to the booth, they asked customers if they would like to test the newest flavoring. Those who were interested would take the small cup for a taste test. They would then grab a slip of the colored paper from the tray and place it in the bowl to cast their vote. A red slip of paper meant that it was not to the customer’s standard and it should not be sold in the bakery. The green slip of paper meant that ‘it was so amazing and it needed to be on the menu tomorrow’. Alright, that was how Adrien was wording his campaign, but it was the same idea overall. 

After an hour and a half of walking around, including the many trips back and forth for refilling their trays, the hot cocoa was nearing the end. As Marinette walked back, she could see Adrien hunched over the booth’s table, indulging in a chocolate éclair. 

“What’s the matter, sunshine? Too much walking around making you take a break?” Marinette said with a tease. She was just as tired, but now she couldn’t show it lest he uses it against her. 

“Actually, my bluenette,” he said with a smug smile, “your parents have nearly sold out of everything. They are currently packing up while I savor the éclair your papa had given me for my hard work.” 

Marinette looked over to her parents, her papa smirking enough to stifle a laugh. Her maman had turned away from Marinette, but Marinette had seen her hiding a grin that plastered her face. Marinette crossed her arms and shook her head in defeat. She wasn’t mad, but the atmosphere was laughable. 

“You two encourage his bad behavior.” 

“Never dear, his bad behavior has always been there. He’s just comfortable enough to encourage his own behavior around us.” Sabine said as she packed the rest of the danishes. 

Adrien scoffed sarcastically at the thought. “Me, bad? I could never be bad.” He placed his hands under his chin, blinking his eyes in a quick, fluttery fashion to show off his cuteness. “I’m just a cute little blonde kitty who loves to be loved (and sometimes cause trouble).” 

Marinette froze at his comment, causing Adrien to do the same. _“Crap!”_ Adrien thought internally. Luckily, years of practice helps a quick but good kitty lie. 

“What?” Adrien shrugged. “I like kittens. You know that, sweets.” Adrien flicks his hand as if he was swatting at a fly away from his face. “Apparently, I was subconsciously thinking about them and decided I wanted to be a cat.” _What the hell Adrien? “_ So, I just called myself a kitty... heh, he-heh.” Adrien faked the fakest laugh he could conjure up. _Seriously Adrien?_ _Please, please, please believe me._

Marinette squinted at him as she thought about what he said. Tom and Sabine were focused on their cleanup that they did not notice the conversation between the teens. She decided to play along, but something niggled at her insides. 

She sauntered over to him to tickle under his chin like she normally would with Chat. “Sure, so this _cute blonde kitty_ just decided that he needed to be a house cat and not some stray?” 

This time, Adrien became suspicious of the act. Maybe she was channeling the way she acts around Chat Noir. _Oh man, he was caught. Crap, he was caught. Marinette knows who he is. She wouldn’t blurt it out, would she? No. She’s kept being friends with Chat a secret from himself so he knows she’ll keep a secret. Man, should I tell her? Should I wait for her to tell me she knows? Oh_ _kwamis_ _, oh damn_ _kwamis_ _. This is bad..._

Internally, Adrien was spiraling out of control while on the outside he was cool and collective with his model-like smile. He could feel Plagg snickering in his jacket. _Ladybug was going to skin him alive._

“Marinette, what are you doing?” 

“You said you were a good kitty, so I’m petting you.” She let out a giggle. “Come on kitty, let’s go clean up this mess so we can get some dinner. I still want to hang out a little bit longer tonight before you have to go home.” 

Adrien could only nod as he bolted towards Sabine to help box up the car. Marinette shook her head with a knowing smile on her face. Thoughts quietly raced through her mind. 


	15. Twinkle Lights

Marinette and Adrien were huddled together as they walked back through the Trocadero that evening. The evening air arrived, bringing a cool gust of wind along with it. The sky was completely clear of clouds allowing the stars to shine brightly in the black sky and the moon gave them enough light to guide them around without the need of flashlights. 

The homes and booths that remained from this morning’s event were adorned with beautiful beads of lights – some homes covered in a two-toned look such as reds and greens and blues and whites. Others remained traditional with simple white lights, while the rest took the opportunity to allow a smorgasbord of colors while keeping it lively and festive. 

It was peaceful and quiet with only a few stragglers hanging around the garden. The Eiffel tower looked beautiful with the shimmery glow of the yellow lights. _I can’t wait to see the city lights from there tonight,_ Marinette thought to herself. 

Adrien was bundled up warm with both hands tucked securely in his pockets to keep the chill off of them. Marinette had wrapped her arm around his, basking in his warmth. She looked up to him to see him smiling with a sweet expression on his face. He was staring at the landmark, oblivious to the world around him. Marinette could only smirk at his cuteness before letting out a tiny giggle. 

The little action was enough to break Adrien’s train of thought, smiling back down to his girlfriend and placing a kiss on the top of her head. 

“What are you thinking about, Adrien?” 

“I’m just enjoying the view, sweets.” He said quietly. 

“I know you quite well and I can bet that you are thinking about something.” 

He laughed. “Yeah, you’re right. I am thinking about something. But don’t worry, it’s nothing terrible.” 

Marinette placed her chin on his shoulder, a motion of a silent conversation between the two. She didn’t want to pry into his mind, but in this case, she was curious as to what it was. 

Noticing the gesture, Adrien continued. “I was thinking about our future together. I know we had talked briefly about one day getting married and having kids and you building your fashion empire... he trailed off, “but I would love to talk about it some more.” 

Marinette quietly smiled. It wasn’t a topic that was brought around too much in their relationship. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to talk about it, but they were young and still in high school. They both have dreams of finding their paths in adulthood together, but still allowing the freedom each other needs to have to grow. It was something that was important to Marinette and Adrien happily agreed. 

“I know we are taking a big step and moving in together after we graduate. We could talk about that if you would like?” 

“Yeah, let’s talk about that!” Marinette said with excitement. 

Adrien let out a chuckle. “So two bedrooms or three bedrooms?” 

“Two for now. I need a space for all my sewing stuff. I still plan on making commissions while at university.” 

“Can we get a kitten or a hamster?” 

“We’ll be so busy, are you sure you want to get an animal right away?” 

Adrien looked over to her and gave her these adorable sad eyes. “Please...” 

“Not right now Adrien,” she said with a laughing sigh, “Let’s see how the first semester goes before we adopt a cute little addition or before we have one of our own.” 

Adrien beamed. Not just because of the kitten, but also for the thought of having children with Marinette. She would be such an amazing maman – her sweetness and determination alone show how competent she would be. 

“Already thinking about having one of our own, Marinette?” 

She blushed after she realized what she said. “You know if I could, I would marry you tomorrow.” 

Adrien stopped to look at her. “Really, you would?” 

She giggled a bit. “Of course, Adrien. I love you. I want to spend all my time with you. I’m moving in with you and didn’t even have to think about it. I want to be there for you the rest of my life, if you’ll have me that is.” 

Adrien lifted her up and swung her around before placing her back down and leaning his forehead against hers. “Well I am happy to hear that, my dear. Because one day I want to marry you too.” 

They both leaned in to break the space between them. Lips meeting lips in a flurry of slow kisses. He tightened his hold on her waist as she interlocked her fingers at the nape of his neck. When the lack of air was too much to bear, they slowly parted ways, both gazing in each other's eyes with a pink blush tinged across their cheeks. 

“Come on, kitty.” She winked in his direction. “I want to get to the Hotel de Ville to see the Christmas tree before we both need to part.” 

Adrien frowned. “You’re not going to let that comment go now, huh?” 

She could only giggle as she led him to the subway station. “Nope! It’s your fault for saying it.” 

“Wonderful...” 

\-----xoxox----- 

As they made their way to the Hotel de Ville, Marinette could still feel the niggling feeling that was bestowed upon her mind earlier that day. When they all arrived home for dinner, Sabine and Tom went into the kitchen to finish the stew they had made earlier in the crockpot, Adrien took a moment to clean himself up for dinner, while Marinette fled to her room to quietly converse with Tikki and Wayzz over her thoughts. 

“Tikki, Wayzz, I know I could have found out who Chat was a long time ago, but I was scared of losing my best friend. Hawkmoth has been extremely quiet and hasn’t released any akumas over the last month, and hasn’t really over the last year for that matter...” She pondered for a bit as she bit her bottom lip. “Maybe it’s time that we know our identities.” 

Wayzz and Tikki turned to each other and silently gazed as if they were conversing with each other telepathically. They both smiled and nodded before turning back to Marinette. 

“Master, I believe that is a great idea.” Wayzz said confidently. 

“I’m happy you’re finally making this decision, Marinette!” Tikki nuzzled her chosen’s cheek. “But what made you decide to go for it?” 

“Adrien made that comment earlier about being a cute blonde kitty. He’s never said anything like that before, and the only other person to say something silly like that is Chat. He has also called me princess a couple of times over the last few weeks, which of course is also a very Chat thing to do when he visits the civilian me. Plus, some of his puns, the way he smiles, the bedhead when he falls asleep after a movie... the amount of evidence is astounding.” 

“I mean, I know that doesn’t mean anything because he could just be doing that since we are dating, but I really cannot help thinking that the boy I’m in love with is also my best friend. We flow together in and out of the suit, which puzzles me even more. I think my mind needs to finally see if my best friend and my boyfriend are one in the same. If not, then I will be happy that my best friend in the suit will be my best friend out of the suit. Nothing will ever change that.” 

Tikki and Wayzz smiled in confidence. “So, when will you be doing it?” Tikki asked. 

“Tonight!” Marinette grinned. 


	16. The Perfect Gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrienette banter and LadyNoir exchanging Christmas gifts.

Adrien nudged Marinette forward when the train reached the station. She was so deep in thought that the sudden realization made her squeak. 

“Thinking about me, Marinette?” Adrien said in a smug tone. 

Marinette poked her finger against his chest. “Only in your dreams, hot stuff.” 

“Well then, I’m glad I dream of you quite often.” 

Marinette knew she wouldn’t win this one so she hopped off the train before he could get another word in. Walking through the courtyard of the hotel, the large multicolored tree sat beautifully in the middle with many wreaths adorning the lampposts against the buildings. She had seen this display every year, but she loved looking at it whenever she had a chance to. 

Marinette decided it was a perfect opportunity to ask her silly question. 

“Hey Adrien?” 

“Yes, love?” 

“Between Ladybug and Chat Noir, which superhero would you be?” 

Adrien paused before turning to Marinette. “What now?” 

“You heard me, kitty. I bet you would be Chat.” 

He audibly swallowed. “Really? And here I was thinking I wanted to be Ladybug.” 

She chuckled. “You? Ladybug? How come?” 

Adrien pondered a bit as he thought of the question. He had a feeling she was on to him, so he needed to think of something that would stop her from figuring out his secret. 

“Well, she’s brave and confident. It’s something that I strive to be. Plus, she’s got this cool yo-yo where she can throw herself around the rooftops no matter where she is. I don’t think Chat's baton can swing around as easily as that.” 

Marinette tapped her chin. “Interesting. I already feel like you are brave and confident. You did stand up to your father on many occasions.” The sentiment made Adrien blush. 

Adrien slowly nudged his shoulder against hers. “Well, what about you?” 

If the niggling was right, then she knew exactly what she needed to say. 

“Easy. I would want to be Chat Noir.” 

Adrien tilted his head, confused. “Really? And I thought you would have said Ladybug.” 

“Contrary to what everyone says, Chat is not some sidekick that takes commands from Ladybug. From what I’ve seen firsthand, on the Ladyblog, or what Alya has told me, Chat has a sweet but fun side but also works with Ladybug seamlessly and takes care of her as best he can. He comes up with plans too! He’s just as confident, even if he may realize it himself. And honestly, Ladybug would be nothing without him.” 

Marinette looked at Adrien with such fervor that it shocked him. The determination and anger in her eyes look just like how Ladybug acts when she’s up against a hard akuma. It was just so, so familiar. 

He looked shocked at the sudden fierceness that he just lifted his hands in surrender. “Okay. I can see I was wrong. Maybe I should have picked Chat Noir over Ladybug.” 

Marinette softened her face. She then pouted and smirked. “Sorry bub. I already chose Chat Noir. You have to be Ladybug now. Or since you’re a boy, maybe Bugaboy or Mister Bug?” 

Adrien just squinted at her. _She has got to be toying with me. Could she be? No. Is she?_ _Marinette – Ladybug?_

Marinette could see his wheels turning. She nonchalantly looked at the clock to see that it was time to part ways. With a turn of her heel towards him, Marinette grabbed onto his scarf and pushed his pretty face towards her. She looked him in the eyes before leaving a chaste kiss on his lips. “Love you. I’ll see you soon.” 

Adrien stood frozen in his spot, placing his fingers to his lips as he watched his girlfriend zip down to the subway station. He was brought back to reality when he heard the cackling of his kwami coming from his coat pocket. 

* * *

Chat Noir arrived to their normal meeting spot on the Eiffel Tower a few minutes early. He reached their favorite beam hoping he was alone to be with his thoughts. Tightly in his hand was the present he made for Marinette the night he visited her as his superhero self. If his inkling was right, he would be able to hand this to her tonight just like he wanted to. If not... he didn’t want to think about that right now. But now, he needed to know. 

He reached the beam and noticed a blanket with candles strewn around. A picnic basket sat in the middle of the blanket. The sky was clear and blustery, but the suit kept him somewhat warm. The scene around him though, made him sweat. He was anxious when he didn’t see her at first and frantically moved his head around to search for her. She popped out behind one of the posts with a red rose in her hand. 

“Bugaboo? What’s this?” 

“Chaton. I’m glad you came.” She wandered towards him and handed him the rose. He grabbed it with slight hesitation, confused at what was going on. He felt confident earlier, but this was shattering his thoughts. 

Ladybug walked over to the blanket and sat down. She patted the spot beside her and waited for him to take his seat. 

“I have been thinking a lot about what I wanted to get you for Christmas.” She started as she gazed out to the dark Parisian sky. “I designed you something adorable, created it, and brought it with me today. But I really don’t think that it’s enough.” 

Chat stared at her with confusion. He unconsciously squeezed the present that he held in his hands. 

“You know how much I value our friendship, Chaton. You are my best friend and I never want anything to affect that. We are partners until the day we part from our duties, but I never want to lose my best friend. Over the last few weeks, I realized something that I now need to understand. And I hope to kwamis that I am right, because if I do this and I’m wrong, I have a lot of explaining to do to my boyfriend back home.” 

Chat licked his dry lips in anticipation for what she was about to say. Instead she leaped over to him and smashed her lips to his. The same familiar feeling that he had always known was there. The same sensation, that loving sensation that made him feel warm within his belly when he kissed Marinette all those times – it was there and it burned with extreme intensity. He reached to grab her waist, pulled her closer to his body as she wrapped her fingers in his hair and deepened the kiss with vigor. When they parted ways, breaths hitched from the lingering passion, she whispered to his lips, _"Adrien?"_

His breathing stopped from the shock. _“Marinette?”_

“Adrien, it’s me.” 

Adrien searched her eyes, running his fingers through her hair as if he couldn’t believe this was real. The love of his life was his best friend and partner all these years. Before he thought of waking up from this dream, he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight, warm tears prickling both their eyes. 

While being held in the tight embrace, Ladybug called off her transformation. He did not look up from the pink burst of light that surrounded them. He held her close for a moment longer before calling off his own. 

When they were both ready, they slowly parted from each other’s grasps to see if it was true. They held onto each other’s hands and looked up. Tears filled both their eyes. 

“Chaton! It was you. It was always you.” 

“Buginette! My Lady. My everything.” 

They spent what felt like forever sitting and hugging and kissing over the revelation. Chat finally stopped his flow of tears to pass over the gift Marinette had helped him make. 

He sniffled. “I asked my best friend, Marinette, to help me make this for my girlfriend.” He chuckled at the statement, which only caused Marinette’s already flustered face to blush a deeper shade of red. “I promised myself that night that once I was able to reveal myself, I would give it to her.” Adrien handed her the gift. “Merry Christmas, my love.” 

Marinette wiped the stray tear that crossed her cheek. “You sly cat. I love you.” 

She opened the gift to see the scarf he made wrapped up nicely with a new addition added on top. Sitting in a clear box was a pendant on a silver string with a silver, red, and black ladybug charm. Beside it was a black and silver paw print charm. 

Marinette kissed him. “Oh Adrien, I love it. Thank you!” 

The smile on his face said it all. But then Adrien looked confused when Marinette handed him his gift. “But I thought the reveal was my gift?” 

Marinette smirked a bit. “I said I designed you a gift, but I felt like it wasn’t enough. Now open it.” 

Adrien tore open the gift and saw a black beanie with cat ears knitted on top. On the rim of the beanie was a lady bug and green paw print stitched on. “Oh Marinette, I love this! Thank you!” He pecked her lips before placing the hat on his head. “Now I look paws-itively cat-tastic!” 

Marinette shook her head at the pun before jumping into his arms. “Merry Christmas, Chaton.” 

“Merry Christmas, Princess.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of course the reveal needed to be the perfect gift! I hope you liked the fluffiness!


	17. Ugly Christmas Sweaters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alya has the group wear superhero themed sweaters.

“You guys really need to get a room.” Alya points at the kissing couple of the bench. 

“Seriously, dudes. And I thought me and Alya were bad.” Nino added while nudging Alya in the arm. 

Marinette pulled away from Adrien and smiled. “We just realized a few things over the last week that just made our relationship ten times stronger.” 

“Plus, this is the only time I could really do this without the press being in my face.” Adrien had his Chat-like smile spread across his cheeks. “Last thing I need is my father to put a stop to this madness and make me bid her farewell.” 

“Like that will ever happen.” Marinette added. The comment made them both giggle. 

“Seriously, you two. I know romance is your thing, Adrien, but I never thought that red was your color.” 

Marinette noticed what Alya was teasing him about. The red lipstick she wore was now all over his lips which also helped bring out the rosiness of his cheeks. She licked her fingers to help rub the tint off his face which only led to Alya and Nino gagging over the motherly act. 

Things really weren’t all that different after the reveal. A random akuma attack happened which allowed them to see how their new dynamic would work. They were worried that it would cause either worry on one side of the duo or extra flirting from the other. Actually, it only made their partnership grow so much stronger now that there were no secrets between them. And by the end of the week, their public displays of affection were the only part of their dynamic that got worse; but not in a bad way of course. 

They still needed to maintain a level of secrecy while in their masks, and to do so they decided to keep their romantic affections to a minimum. Chat, of course, was not happy about it, but he understood the reasoning. But that did not stop the flood of pictures into the Ladyblog when the rare moments of kissing did happen. Alya was through the roof and believed her Christmas wish came true exclaiming that her ‘ship was finally sailing’. 

Since this was the last full week of school before the holiday break, the school announced a week of fun activities. Each day, the classes were able to wear or do something that represented the activity of the day. Monday was cookie design day, Tuesday was wear a funny hat day, Wednesday was decorate your classroom day, Thursday was holiday color themed day, and today is wear an Ugly Christmas Sweater day. 

Alya came up with a plan to have the quad of friends wear a group themed ugly sweaters. With Alya being Alya, she thought it would be awesome if they went as the opposite counterparts of the superheroes. Alya would go with something Carapace themed while Nino went with something Rena Rouge themed. Marinette would go as something Chat Noir themed while Adrien went as something Ladybug themed. Adrien and Marinette quietly giggled at the thought, but ultimately agreed to the plan. 

Of course, Marinette could not just go out and buy hers and Adrien’s sweaters. No. She just had to make them something specialized for them. Plus, how many people can say they can dress up as their superhero beaus and get away with it? Besides them, only Alya and Nino could claim that title. But that was their own little secret. 

Marinette spent the rest of the week working on the designs. Adrien spent every day with her, watching her knit with pure joy, and lending his input on the handiwork when it was requested. It still felt like a dream that they would soon wake up from, believing it was a nightmare that made them regret never revealing themselves and hiding their secret to each other. But it wasn’t. It was pure, real, and absolutely amazing. 

That Friday, Adrien arrived to Marinette’s home to pick up his sweater. She had a few last-minute finishing touches to complete after he had left for the night, but she promised it would be finished by morning. 

When he arrived in the Dupain-Cheng's bakery, Sabine scurried Adrien up the stairs with some croissants for breakfast. Marinette was already awake, excited to show off the final touches on her sweater before handing Adrien his. 

Marinette answered Adrien’s knocks on her door with a large smile. 

“Good Morning, Chaton!” 

Adrien bowed to his cheerful princess. “Good Morning, M’Lady.” 

When he straightened back up, he sees Marinette wearing her sweater. He was floored. Marinette knitted an overly large black sweater that went down to her midthigh. She was wearing lime green leggings with shin high Chat Noir socks. Little bells hung on the socks where Chat’s bell would be. On the sweater itself, she knitted in a lime green tree with bells attached to the limbs in every direction and a had little white cats underneath the tree. She finished the look with her Chat Noir beanie that she made especially for Adrien. Her hair was down with curls peeping through the cap and even her makeup was done up with cat eye eyeliner and a green hue. She looked absolutely adorable. 

“What do you think?” she said as she spun in circles. 

“Paws-itively amazing, my princess.” 

She covered her smile as she giggled. She took his hand to bring him into her home so they could enjoy the morning together before school. 

“Go ahead and set the pastries down and I’ll go get your sweater.” Marinette said sweetly. 

Adrien set out a plate with the delicious pastries as she walked back down her bedroom steps. “I hope you love it!” 

Adrien grabbed the sweater from her hands and held it up. It was perfect. Marinette had knitted Adrien a red sweater that stopped at his hips. She had placed large black spots all over the sweater, each looking like an ornament with a small ribbon hanging from the tops of each. On some of the ornaments, little bells hung from the strings, while others remained plain. It wasn’t as adorable as Marinette’s Chat Noir themed sweater, but it worked well with their little group outfit. 

“Hold on! I have one more thing to add to yours.” She went and grabbed a shiny red present bow that was attached to a clip. She placed the clip on in his hair before kissing him on his lips. “Merry Christmas to me!” Adrien just laughed over the extra touch. 

* * *

Alya and Nino were already in class when Marinette and Adrien walked in. Nino, being the funny bro that he is, whistled at Adrien when he walked in. 

“Hey hot stuff! Are you a present for me?” 

“In your dreams, Nino. This present is all mine!” Marinette teased. 

Adrien blushed as red as his sweater. Marinette could only smile lovingly at her boyfriend, the cute bow on his head really sealed the deal. 

Needing to say something back to his best friend, Adrien could only laugh at how short and unfestive his sweater was. “Nino, I thought it was supposed to be ugly? It actually looks kind of cute for a crop top.” 

Nino shrugged his shoulders down with a sigh. “Man, there were no Rena Rouge looking ones in the men's department. Alya had to buy the only orange top from the woman’s department. And even with the biggest size, dude, the sweater is still too short.” 

Adrien patted his best friend in the back. “No worries Nino, you look just as hot in that outfit as I do.” Adrien winked at him making Alya and Marinette fall over laughing. 

“Sunshine boy has got you there, Nino.” Alya reiterated. Alya’s outfit was a little better with a simple green turtleneck with black leggings. Around her neck was a shimmery garland necklace and she added these adorable green Christmas tree earrings. She wore brown knee-high boots and a green beanie to finish the look. 

“Alya, looking great as ever.” Marinette cooed. 

“Thanks girl, you don’t look too bad yourself.” 

The rest of the class shuffled in all wearing festive and fun looking sweaters. Each one personalized with a fun design. Kim wore a sweater with a stocking sewed to it. He left candy in the stocking to keep him happy all day long. Max wore a white sweater with math problems that were piled on top of each other to look like a tree. Rose wore something pink and glittery. Sabrina even wore a sweater that had a kitty Christmas tree on it. Chloe and Lila were the only two to not dress up. 

The best one was Nathaniel’s as he sketched an entire Christmas scene on his sweater and hand painted it with fabric paint. It came out absolutely amazing. 

The class enjoyed the day filled with games, a little bit of classwork, and ended the day with the last holiday party of their last year at lycée. It was bittersweet, but fun nonetheless, and Adrien couldn’t ask for a better time. 


	18. Elves

This Saturday was one of Ladybug’s and Chat Noir’s favorite day of the year. Well, one of their favorites – Marinette's cookie extravaganza is the other favorite of the superhero duo. Over the last few years, Ladybug and Chat Noir had added a few charity and community service projects to their repertoire. During the holiday season, they go to the different community buildings and lend their time. 

They also collaborate with Santa Claus and become his elves for the day. Each year they choose one charity to donate their time to, mostly to spend time with children who won't be able to celebrate the holidays like other families could. This year, they all decided that the Children’s Hospital would be the best place. They cleared their entire day to spend as much time as they could with each child. 

Between the two superheroes, Chat Noir is the softest of all. He loves to go to the Children’s hospital to visit all the sick children that won’t be able to be home for the holidays. He knows that feeling of being alone, and that is the last thing he wants them to feel like on a family-oriented holiday. 

Adrien and Marinette quickly finished wrapping all the gifts for the event. They had snagged a few more last-minute toys during the Santa’s village event the weekend before - a few snuggly plushies of Chat Noir and Ladybug, some warm fuzzy blankets, and then some more traditional gifts, such as Legos, paint sets, and trains. 

Once the Santa bag was filled to the brim with the presents, Adrien and Marinette transformed into their alter egos and made their way to the local Children’s Hospital where they were hosting the Santa event. Children were patiently waiting in their rooms for the trio to make their appearance. Once Santa Claus arrived and met the duo in the hospital atrium with his own bag of goodies, they started making their rounds. 

“Ho, Ho, Ho! Merry Christmas!” Santa bellowed his laughs down the first hallway. Ladybug and Chat Noir, both donned with Santa caps and bells tied to their wrists, made their way down with him. As soon as the children heard the boisterous chuckles, the rooms were filled with squeals and laughter over the impending visits. A few children sneaked their way to the doorway allowing them to get a sneak peak of the jolly old man. 

A few excited screams over Ladybug and Chat Noir could be heard in the bustling halls. “Santa, Ladybug, and Chat Noir!” The older kids announced which led to some snickering from the little ones. 

Ladybug was carrying one sack while Chat Noir held the other. Each child would get one present from them. There were a hundred children in this hospital, all ranging from the ages of newborn to 16. They made sure to bring presents for every single one of them. 

A reporter made their way into the entrance along with the Ladyblogger herself, to take pictures and take a statement from the three characters. Chat used his charisma skills to announce why this was important to them and how the viewers could do the same. He was so passionate about this, more passionate than Ladybug could ever be about a project. It warmed her heart to see her kitty be so kindly and loving. 

Each room they entered gave way to warmth of smiles and teary-eyed children who excitedly hugged each of them. A personal photographer was with them taking photos of the trio with each child so they could remember this moment for as long as they wanted to. 

They focused their attention to each child for a given number of minutes, never making them feel rushed or unwanted. Santa would sit on the bed or chair and would ask each child what they wanted for Christmas. He would then request one present from the Santa bag and one of the elves would hand it to him. If the child wasn’t shy, he welcomed them to open the gift right then and there. He would oohed and awed at the gift they received. 

Every once in a while, Ladybug would turn around and notice her kitty missing. He would still be in the room, but he would be playing with the kids and allowing them to touch his ears and tail. Every once in a while, the kids would scratch his favorite spot and could get a purr out of him. The kids loved it and Ladybug just looked lovingly at her partner. 

By the time they were done, they had spent about seven hours at the hospital. No amount of running the rooftops of Paris could ever compare to playing with these kiddos for seven hours straight. But they loved it and they would do it again in a heartbeat. 

They left the hospital after saying their goodbyes to Santa and ducked into a deserted alleyway to transform out of their suits. A loving smile crept on Marinette’s face, leaving her cheeks dusted in a shade of pink. Adrien, freeing the wrinkles out his jacket by dusting them off, was oblivious to her watchful eye. A few heartbeats later, Adrien looked to Marinette and smiled back to her. Her smile and bluebell eyes shined with so much love. 

“What are you thinking about, Lovebug?” 

“It never gets old watching you go all out this way,” Marinette gushed. Adrien blushed. “The way you look at these kids, play with them, talk to them sweetly, and let them do what they please to you... you are going to be such an amazing dad one day.” 

Adrien perked up. _Being a dad._

_Being an amazing dad._

That’s all he ever wanted was to be a dad. Being on okay dad was never on his radar. Being a dad that was there but never around? Never. Being an amazing dad who was always there for his kids, be there for their achievements, tournaments, and recitals? Always. He was always going to be the dad he wished his dad would have been. 

“As long as I have you by my side, Milady, I think we would make amazing parents.” 

It was now Marinette’s turn to blush. They spoke about their futures, how many children they would like to have, and how they want to raise them someday, but the thought of having children with Marinette made his heart soar. Children with his lady. Oh, the prospects. 

They spent the rest of the evening discussing the ins and outs of how they each would like to see in their future. Each conversation brought them back to children.


	19. Naughty or Nice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alya plays a game with Nino, Adrien, and Marinette.

Adrien and Marinette spent most of their afternoon at Marinette’s house. They laid lazily on her bed, snuggled up against each other while taking a quick nap before heading to Alya’s house for a night of movies, snacks, and games. Their kwamis also took the opportunity to snooze in Tikki’s nest of scraps, her little bed that sat beside Marinette’s bedside. 

A ring could be heard in the room. Plagg looked at the devilish phone with one eye propped open, most likely wishing that he could wreak havoc on it with his godly power. Adrien stirred from his sleep to search for the phone, eyes closed and hands searching the table above them. Plagg squealed when Adrien accidently touched him instead of the phone causing Adrien to jump from his spot. Marinette winced and whined over her disturbed slumber and rolled back over taking the blanket with her. 

Adrien smiled with a breathy laugh before grabbing the ringing phone. 

“Helly,” he said with a mumbled tone as he laid back down on the pillow. 

“Dudes, when are you guys coming over? We thought you would be here by now!” Nino spoke loudly through the phone which only made Adrien grumble over the excess noise. 

“We said we would come by later. It’s sleepy time right now.” 

“You know what time is it, right?” 

Adrien moved the phone away from his ear to check the time. _6:04 pm_ damnit. “Ugh. We’ll be there soon. I have to wake up Marinette first.” 

A loud yell came from the background, “Good luck with that!” _Alya..._

“Yeah. Thanks.” He deadpanned. “I’ll be over in about 30.” 

“Sounds good, dude. I’ll order the food now then.” 

Adrien hung up the phone before nuzzling back into Marinette’s side. “Wake up princess. It’s time to go to Nino’s” 

Marinette grumbled and brought the blanket over her head. With a sleepy voice, Marinette said, “Marinette’s not here right now, please leave a message after the beep.” 

Adrien stifled a laugh before answering her pretend voicemail. “Marinette, it’s your kitty, Adrien.” He plants a kiss to her head. “Nino called and we are late to their house.” He moves the blanket off her face. “He’s about to order food for us to eat.” He kisses her cheek. “And we don’t want to be late to see them.” He gives her a kiss to the edge of her lips causing her to turn her head in his direction. 

She pouts while her eyes remained closed. “I’m warm. Warm kitty.” 

Adrien kissed her lips. “Come on, princess. I’m hungry. There’s a slice of pizza calling my name.” 

“No. Warm kitty stay in my bed.” 

Adrien grabs the rest of her blanket and pulls it off of her. She bundles up into the fetal position. “Naughty kitty.” 

“Oh, I’m naughty now?” Adrien smirked with his Chat like smile. “I’ll be naughty.” 

Marinette went wide eyed and blushed. “You’ll wait- WHAT! That’s- that’s not what I meant-” 

Adrien didn’t let her finish. He went full on tickle mode and she couldn’t hold it in. 

“Adrien! Stop! Ha-ha! Please! Ha! Stop! Ha-ha-ha!” She couldn’t breathe. The tickles were too much. When Adrien felt she was finally awake, he got up and fixed his bedhead before grabbing his phone and climbing down the steps. 

“Meanie.” Marinette said with a pout. She reluctantly grabbed her phone and walked down her ladder and fixed her face and hair in the mirror. 

“Hey, we needed to get going. You weren’t moving, so I had to pull out the big guns.” He waved his hands in the air before doing his best impression of the muscle man pose. 

Marinette groaned. “Seriously, chaton? 

“Yes, seriously, milady.” He kissed her cheek. “Now let’s go before the pizza gets cold.” 

* * *

An hour into playing a board game and eating pizza, Alya turned to the gang. “So, do you guys want to play a fun little game?” 

“Fun, little, and game do not work when the sentence comes from you.” Marinette said with a smirk to her lips as she pointed to the smiling girl. She knew her best friend well enough that this is some ploy to make everyone embarrassed at some point in the night. 

She only shrugged her shoulders. “What? I’ll be _nice._ ” She placed a lot of emphasis on ‘nice’. 

Adrien humored her. “Alright, Alya. What’s the game?” 

“Naughty or nice.” Alya smiled with a playful smile. “Don’t worry. Nothing dirty. Kind of like truth or dare. The person who chooses the victim will made the decision. If they choose ‘naughty’ the victim will have to spill something embarrassing. If they say ‘nice’ you have to say something truthful.” Alya leaned back against the couch. “See, easy!” 

“That doesn’t sound so bad,” Nino said with a shrug. 

“Seems like we have our first victim- I mean, participant.” Alya grinned. Adrien and Marinette agreed to the game and rules. “Alright Nino, I choose ‘naughty’.” 

Nino growled. “Of course, you would. Alright. When I was a kid, I wanted to fly. So, I put on a towel around my neck and climbed on the head of the bed. I then ran to jump off and landed on my stomach. Broke my toe on one of the toys when I landed. Had to be in a cast for three weeks, dude.” He shook his head. “I was so embarrassed.” 

Adrien stifled a laugh at his best friend’s expense. “That doesn’t sound embarrassing enough. How old were you?” 

“This is why it’s embarrassing. I was 10.” He hung his head in shame. Everyone started laughing. 

“Okay, now I can see why it’s embarrassing.” Adrien chuckled. 

“Alright, your turn model.” Nino smiled. “Naughty!” 

Adrien thought a moment. “So, I was supposed to ask Marinette out a week before I actually did.” Marinette turned to see what he was about to say. She has yet to hear this story. “Well, I wrote this sappy love poem during class to give to her. I couldn’t think of the right words to something... I can’t remember what word it was... so I stuffed it in my bag to work on it later on. Well, during English class, we needed to pass in our writing homework and I accidentally passed _that_ in to Mlle. Bustier. When she started reading it, she held it to the side before turning a bright shade of red. Because I didn’t name who I was giving it to, Mlle. Bustier thought I was giving it to her, so she pulled me after class and I got a talking to about how it was inappropriate to like a teacher, yadda-yadda.” He moved his hands like he was swatting at the words. “I was mortified before explaining the mistake.” 

The three friends went wide-eyed and fell over from laughing so hard. 

Nino wiped a tear. “Oh man, you win! That is seriously so embarrassing!” 

Marinette could only laugh. “I’m so sorry, _minou_. But that is seriously so terrible! Why haven’t I heard this before?” 

“Embarrassing, remember?” Adrien chuckled sheepishly before rubbing his neck. Wanting to get the attention off of him, Adrien turned to Alya, “Nice.” 

Alya slowed down her laughter enough to talk. “Okay, so I walked in on my parents talking about a gift for someone. They didn’t say who it was, but they were talking about this awesome brand-new tablet that had just come out. So, I thought it was for me, since I’m the only one in the family that is into technology like that and it was one that I wanted and told them about. Come to find out, they knew I was listening in on their conversation and used that as a way to get back at me for eavesdropping. I was so mad! But I get why they did it.” 

Marinette turned to Alya, “Serves you right for using your reporter skills on your parents!” She wiggled her finger at her while using a mock parental tone. It only made Alya laugh at herself which then turned into everyone laughing. 

“Alright, Marinette.” Alya wiped a tear from her eye. “Naughty!” 

“Oh, come on Alya. My life is an embarrassment already!” She raises her arms above her head in retaliation before hiding her eyes with her hands. 

“Still. Naughty. There must be something that you haven’t told us.” 

“Fine.” She let out a humph while she crossed her arms across her chest. “When the akumas started happening, which terrified me by the way, I ran into a janitor’s closet to hide. Well, when I opened the door to get in, I tripped over a broom that had fallen over and landed head first into a dirty mop bucket filled with water. I had to go home and change before I trudged back to class.” 

Everyone started cracking up. “Oh man! Which one was that?” Adrien asked. 

“It was when Mylene got akumatized. I was trudging back out of the closet after falling in and got taken by her pink goo.” 

“Dude, what a way to go!” Nino added. 

“Yeah, seriously.” 

The friends continued the game until it was time for Marinette and Adrien to leave. Adrien walked Marinette home and had to ask. “Did you seriously fall head first into a mop bucket?” 

“Yes. I fell in before I transformed. I went home to shower and change before coming back because I smelled like old lemons.” She scrunched her face. “It was so gross.” 

Adrien continued to laugh at his girlfriend’s expense. “Sorry lovebug, but that’s hilarious.” 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” She whined before changing the subject. “I’m glad we had fun, though.” 

“Agreed! Now come on before you freeze to death.” 

Marinette only smiled before Adrien grabbed her hand to run. 


	20. Tradition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Adrien have breakfast with Gabriel. Marinette surprises them both, then Gabriel did too.

Sunday was another lazy day hanging around, but first she would have to endure a morning breakfast with the Agrestes. Marinette was invited over for Sunday brunch with Adrien and Gabriel, a day where Gabriel actually penciled in his son for once. Gabriel sat at the head of one end of the long table in the dining hall, while Adrien sat at the head of the other side with Marinette by his side. The chef provided an array of delicious treats, croissants with different flavored jams, and delicious fresh fruits for their meal. Coffee and tea were also served. 

Marinette knew she would Adrien’s father would be there, so she made sure she was punctual with her attendance and picked the best outfit for the occasion. 

Digging in her closet the night before was not an easy task. She had to choose something from her collection that would both impress Gabriel and make Adrien blush. After an hour of choosing and fretting over her clothing choices, Marinette stumbled on a beautiful navy blue dress. It was simple in design, no emblems or sparkles to it. The design was an hourglass shape – narrow at the waist with a wide skirt – and ended at the knees. The sleeves were off the shoulder and ended at her wrists, giving a more modest look while showing a little bit of skin. She finished the look with a silver necklace, silver booties, and a red rose that was pinned to her hair. She decided to keep her hair down and curled them at the ends. 

Adrien blushed when he picked Marinette up at her home that morning. The look on his face was priceless and knew that her choice was the best one for the day. Hopefully, Gabriel would like the simplicity of the design. He was a man that enjoyed the simple things, even if he made the simplest things the most difficult. 

The room was quiet leaving an awkward tension in the room. Gabriel was actually attentive for once and did not bombard himself with documents he usually immersed himself with. He would look to his food before looking back at the couple, wiping any crumbs on his face before placing his hands in a steeple to hide his expression. Marinette and Adrien both ate quietly while stealing glances to each other for strength and comfort. 

Adrien could see that Marinette needed saving from the suffocation of the tension. He did too. He looked to her direction, smiled and nodded before attempting to clear his throat. Before he could do so, Marinette looked to Gabriel and started a discussion. 

“Monsieur Agreste?” Marinette asked with curiosity. Adrien looked nervous, but held his composure. 

“Yes, Mademoiselle?” Gabriel returned. 

“What were your favorite holiday traditions growing up?” 

Both Adrien and Gabriel looked to Marinette stunned over the question. 

Gabriel cleared his throat as he blotted any crumbs off his lips before answering. “We did not have many traditions when I was a boy.” He pursed his lips before a memory flashed his mind. “My mother would sing and play on the piano every Christmas eve. My mother had a beautiful voice, and her skills on the piano could match no other.” A smile curled his lip. “Every Christmas eve, she would wake me up with a song. We would then make breakfast together before decorating the tree. While we decorated, she would sing song after song. By the evening, her voice would start to tremble from the exhaustion, but she continued through. Many times, I would sit with her on the piano bench and play with her.” 

He looked down to his plate and nudged the fork as he relished in the memory. “When Emilie and my mother were still around, they would sit at the piano together to play and sing. Emilie joined in that tradition and added her own special touches to it. When Adrien came along, adding him to the tradition only continued. The three sat together at the piano. My mother would continue to play until she couldn’t play any longer. Emilie would then take the helm and play with Adrien in her lap. It had always been my favorite time of year.” 

Marinette turned to Adrien to see a tear on his face. She placed her hand in his, reminding him that she was there. He squeezed her hand back as a way to say thank you. 

“Thank you for sharing, M. Agreste. I apologize if my question brought up any sad memories.” 

Gabriel smiled at Marinette. “None at all. It is nice to remember them. I miss them both terribly.” Gabriel stood from his chair. “If you can excuse me, I have paperwork that needs to be completed. Thank you for joining us this morning, mademoiselle.” 

Before turning away completely, Gabriel looked back to Marinette. “By the way, that dress is beautiful in its simplistic design. Perfectly tailored to you. You should be proud of the stitch work. It fits your personality wonderfully.” 

“Thank you for the compliment and thank you for having me.” Marinette nodded to indicate a curtsy. 

Once Gabriel left the dining hall, Marinette turned to Adrien with a smile. Adrien was beaming. “I don’t understand how you have this power over him. I have never heard that story from him. I mean, I remember those moments so vividly. It was one of my favorite memories growing up. Being with my grandmother and my mother at the piano and singing Christmas songs... it’s my favorite tradition.” He stopped his thought to swirl his water before taking a sip. “Ever since my mother passed away, I would sit at my piano and play some of the songs they played. I would sing and cry with Plagg sitting on my shoulder. I just wanted to keep their memories going. I just wish my Father would join me in those traditions.” 

Marinette reached up to his face and cradled his cheek. “By this time next year, we will have our own place and we can create our own traditions and bring back the ones that mean the most to you. That’s if you want to continue that tradition. We will only do things that will make us both happy.” 

Adrien smiled and placed his hand on hers. He grasped her hand and kissed her fingers. “Come on. Let’s go hang out in my room and talk about this some more. I want to remember these traditions.” 

Marinette smiled as she got up from her seat and followed him to his room. Sitting on the couch and wrapped up in a soft blanket, Marinette nudged into Adrien’s side. She nuzzled up to him, his body emanating copious amounts of warmth. Their fingers were laced together as they stared out the wall of windows. The skies were gray and dull giving way to snowflakes that slowly covered his balcony and the rooftops in front of them. 

“So, traditions.” Marinette started. “What kind of traditions would you like to have?” 

Adrien thought. “I’m partial to a real tree. I love the smell.” 

“I’m fine with choosing and getting a real tree. How about making our ornaments every year? And we could always buy one that highlights the most important part of the year.” 

“That works for me. We could always bake cookies and give them out to friends and families every year.” 

“We already do that at the bakery. You can be part of that too and we don’t have to worry about messing up our kitchen.” She smiled at him. 

“I like that. Less mess to clean, but we can still do that as our tradition? Sign me up.” They both laughed. “I would love to play the piano and sing Christmas songs to keep my family’s tradition alive.” He grew quiet. “I would love to continue what they did for me and play the piano to our kittens when we have them.” 

Marinette looked up to him and kissed the side of his lips. “I love that idea. I can already imagine them singing and playing around the piano, laughing and cooing over the lovely music.” 

Adrien kissed the top of her head. “Bug, I can’t imagine spending any Christmas without you. You’ve brought me so much warmth and happiness this year. I haven’t felt this happy since my mother passed. You really know how to make me feel loved.” 

Marinette turned to face him. She grabbed both his hands in hers, squeezing them tight. “I will always do everything in my power to make you happy. Remember that. I love you, and can’t imagine my life without you. You make me so happy just by being you. All I can do in return is make you feel loved and happy too.” 

“I love you Marinette. I can’t wait to make these memories with you.” 

“I love you too, Chaton. The memories have only just begun.” 


	21. Blankets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette sews a blanket for Adrien.

Monday came much faster than she anticipated. Marinette woke up from her warm bed to a breeze circling her room. Tikki cuddled up beside her chosen’s head, trying to capture the remaining warmth before she was forced to get up and help out in the bakery. Just a few hours stood in her way before she could start and finish the blankets she designed the night before for Adrien and Plagg. She wanted to give it to them both today so they could stay warm from the cold front that was moving in. 

Or already moved in. “It’s so cold Tikki.” She gazed at her phone to see what the temperature would get up to today. “It’s only 8*C. I’m only growing colder by the year.” 

Tikki muffled a yawn. “Bugs don’t like the cold, remember?” 

“Yeah, I remember. I just can’t believe that I have to deal with the cold like this now.” She grumbled. 

“Marinette!” Her mother shouted. “We need help with some orders!” 

“I’m coming, I’m coming.” 

Marinette finally pulled herself from the warmth and found her way through her morning routine. A quick look at her texts before moving on downstairs and she found a cute message from Adrien. 

**Kitty:** Good Morning, my love. It’s a purrfectly chilly day for this kitty to enjoy. 

**Buginette** **:** Yeah, maybe for you since your warm all the time. I’m purrfectly freezing. Tyvm. 

**Kitty:** Well then, I’ll make sure to be over there as soon as you tell me to. 😊 

**Buginette** **:** Movies, blankets, and pastries for the perfect start to Christmas vacation? 

**Kitty:** Cat-tastic, if I do say so myself. 

_“Marinette! Are you ready yet?”_

**Buginette** **:** I got to go. My mother needs my help in the bakery. I’ll text you later. Love you! 

**Kitty:** Love you too! 

* * *

Marinette finished her shift at the bakery and moved on to showering off the flour that she fell into. It warmed her up enough to tackle the project she had in mind. Her kitty loves blankets, and she knows how much Plagg loves to cuddle up to something warm too. She walked over to her supply closet, scrounging around the many boxes of fabrics that she had collected over the years. The blanket she had in mind shouldn’t take her too long. It was a simple fleece blanket that would have two color fabrics and stitched around the edges to keep everything together. She planned on embroidering green paw prints and a red ladybug to the corners of one side. 

After looking for a few minutes and tossing many boxes to the side, she found the fabric she was looking for. She needed a black fleece and a lime green fleece to make the design work. Luckily, she had both that were roughly the same size, and she needed enough for Adrien’s tall stature. There was also enough to make Plagg his. “Perfect!” she said as she held everything up. 

Tikki hovered over Marinette as she laid out the fabric on the floor. She then scurried to the sewing table to fetch Marinette’s pincushion in order for her chosen to pin the two fabrics together before cutting it and sewing it all together. 

Marinette then moved on to grab the remaining fabric scraps and started pinning together the Kwami sized pieces to make the blanket for Plagg. 

“Ooh, Marinette!” The kwami squeaked. 

“Yeah Tikki?” Marinette said without looking up. 

“Do you think you can make Plagg a pillow instead? I know he uses Adrien’s pillow, but what about if he wants one for Adrien’s desk?” 

She turned to face the god. “Actually. Tikki, that sounds like a great idea. I’ll sew three sides of his blanket first and then stuff it with some filler before sewing the fourth side. That way he can still use the warm fleece with the added comfort of a pillow.” 

Tikki snuggled up to Marinette’s face. “Thank you! He’s going to love it!” 

* * *

Marinette finished the third side of the embroidery before a text came in. “Tikki, could you see who messaged me?” 

Tikki zipped over to the phone and saw that Adrien had messaged her. 

Marinette looked at her design and decided that he could start his way over now. By the time he arrives, the blankets would be done. 

**Kitty:** Can I come by now? This cat is antsy to see you. 

**Buginette** **:** You certainly can. I am ready with snacks and movies! 

**Kitty:** No need to say more. I’ll be there in 20 

**Buginetre** : See you soon. 

Marinette quickly finished the last side before folding it nicely. As she was about to hide the new gifts, an idea crossed her mind. 

She gathered all the pillows and blankets that she could and placed them all on her chaise. The newest blanket was hidden between the piles ready for Adrien to find it. 

Marinette looked at the time. “Tikki, they should be here in about five minutes. Let’s head downstairs to grab snacks for everyone.” 

Tikki nodded as Marinette opened the hatch. In the kitchen, Marinette had left a box of delicious pastries from the bakery and started warming up some of her famous hot chocolate. Marinette had started scooping it into mugs when she heard knocking at the door. 

“Adrien!” Marinette called as she opened the door. 

Adrien smiled before planting a kiss on her lips. “Looking good my lady. Did you miss me?” 

“Always, my kitty. Come on in. I just finished my famous hot chocolate and I need help bring the pastries up the stairs.” 

“Just tell me what to do and I’ll help.” 

Adrien and Marinette walked towards the kitchen to grab the snacks, both chatting about how their day had gone. Plagg quickly sped towards Tikki and phased through the hatch, most likely to snuggle on Plagg’s new bed. Adrien grabs the mugs while Marinette grabs the pastries. 

As soon as they walk into her room, Adrien noticed the pile of blankets and pillows. Adrien went bright eyed and hopped between his feet in excitement. Marinette chuckled over the sight and placed the pastries on the counter. 

“Are we going to snuggle in a bunch of blankets? Because that sounds like so much fun.” 

Marinette nodded her head. “Nope! Well almost nope. How does building a blanket fort to watch back to back princess movies sound?” 

Adrien placed the mugs onto the table before running over to the pile. “Let’s start now!” 

Marinette built the skeleton of the fort rather quickly as Adrien looked through the blankets. Everything looked familiar except for a black one that looked new. Marinette noticed Adrien pausing at the pile and walked up behind him. 

“I think you deserve a little something warm before Christmas.” She looked over to the kwamis on the sewing table. “I can already see that Plagg is enjoying his gift.” Adrien turned to Marinette before looking at the kwamis nestled in the new pillow that matched the blanket. He pulled the blanket from the pile and pressed it against his face, enjoying the fleece against his bare skin. 

“Thanks Marinette!” He kissed the top of her head. “I cannot wait to snuggle with this.” 

Marinette and Adrien hurried to finish the fort. They laid a blanket on the floor and plopped all the pillows on top of it. Adrien grabbed the box of pastries and the now cooled hot cocoa into the fort. Marinette popped a movie into the computer before plopping herself down in the fort and nestling into Adrien’s side. He covered them both with his new blanket as Marinette laid her head on his chest and snuggled in his warmth. 

Marinette looked up “Thanks, kitty, for keeping me warm.” 

Adrien pressed a kiss on Marinette’s lips. “Thanks, bug, for making my day.” 


	22. Snowman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A snowman building competition between schoolmates.

The cold front that moved in brought in a heap of snow with it. When Marinette woke up that morning snuggled up in her bed, she could feel the coldness in her bones. A quick glance at her skylight only confirmed what she thought. 

“Snow.” She mumbled. “At least I’m not needed at the bakery today.” Surprisingly enough, with it being Christmas Eve, Marinette was not needed to hand out any of the Buche de Noel this year. She will later, of course; it was one of the traditions their family did together each year. Her papa made plenty to hand out as long as a donation was made for the charity of their choice. It’s something that they have done over many years, longer than Marinette could remember. 

Since the superheroes came along, Marinette’s family decided that they would also donate to whatever charity Ladybug and Chat Noir chose to donate their time to. It helped show their support for the superheroes who risked their lives for Paris, while also donating to charities that mean the most to them all. It really made Marinette proud of her parents for their support, even if they had no idea who the kids under the masks were. 

Marinette shifted in her bed, palming around mindlessly for her phone. _10:32 “_ I guess I should get up Tikki.” She looked to her kwami who was nuzzled in her bed. 

As Marinette sat up, rubbing the sleepiness from her eye, a ping from a contact brightened the screen. Marinette grabbed the device to see that Alya was calling her. 

“Marinette! Girl, please tell me you aren’t still sleeping?” 

“No. I’m awake, now...” Laughter could be heard in the background. 

“Listen. Nino, Ivan, Mylene, Rose, Juleka, and I are all down at the park. The snow came in loads last night and it’s perfect for a snowman building competition. Come down here and show off your design skills, girl. You could probably beat us all.” 

_Ugh the cold..._ “I’m surprised Alix and Kim aren’t part of this. You know they wouldn’t back down from a competition when they get the chance to compete against each other.” 

“Ha-ha you’re right! And don’t worry. Nino already called them down and they are headed here soon. Why don’t you call lover boy to see if he can come too and you guys can team up?” 

Marinette smiled. “Alright, alright. Give me 20 minutes and I’ll be there.” 

Marinette fumbled through her contacts to find Adrien’s number and called it as she was searching her closet for warm clothes. 

“Hey Bug!” Adrien could be heard with a smile on his face. 

“Hey, kitty. Are you busy this morning? Alya called about a snowman making competition with some of our friends. Want to go and beat their butts?” 

“Luckily for you, your partner is available until this afternoon when this certain kitty needs to be at a bakery handing out Buche de Noels with his princess’s family.” 

Marinette pursed her lips then smirked at his teasing. “Oh, really? That’s good, because this bug needs to do the same with her kitty.” They chuckled in unison. “I’ll see you in 20? I still need to grab my gloves and a croissant before heading over there. It’s at the park across from my house.” 

“I’ll be there in 20! See you soon. Love you.” 

“Love you too!” 

Marinette quickly dressed and grabbed a snack before heading out the door. Her pink kwami followed her along, dressing up in warm layers to fight off the cold that seeps through the purse. A couple of cookies for good measure and they trudged over to where her fellow classmates were hanging out. 

“Hey guys!” Marinette waved as she met the group. 

“Hey Marinette.” The greeting said in unison. 

“Is my bro coming?” Nino asked. 

“Yep, he should be here soon.” Her eyes darted around the park to the different entrances. In the far corner, she could see a blue blob with a black hat coming towards the group. “Actually, there he is!” 

Alix and Kim had been there for a few minutes before their usual fighting banter began. Rules were given and everyone agreed to the terms. Everyone took their spots, all in teams besides Alix and Kim (who decided that they needed to compete alone in their brutal face off) and got to work. Alya recorded in between rolling and scrounging for supplies while Nino took the brunt of the labor. 

Marinette and Adrien worked together to make the bodies, Adrien taking the bigger bottom ball as Marinette took the smaller part. When she finished her section, she ran through the park looking for rocks and sticks to decorate their snowman. 

Alix had completed a good portion of her snowman before Kim loudly announced his was better than everyone’s. Alya turned to Kim’s spot to see a large heaping pile of a snow mound that couldn’t be mistaken for a snowman. Alix only snorted at the lack of “man” before turning back to her masterpiece. 

Thirty minutes passed before Marinette and Adrien yelped in happiness. “Done!” Everyone grumbled as they turned to the couple, seeing how amazing their snowman turned out. It was the only one dressed up; he had rock buttons going from his neck to his belly, sticks for arms, a happy rock smile, nose, and eyes. Adrien brought a secret weapon with him: a spare cap and scarf. Knowing that they were competing against each other, he brought them along. No one else had planned to meet up at the park; they all met by accident and the competition happened by chance. No one had the advantage of bringing extra items besides Alix, Kim, Marinette, and Adrien. 

Alix and Kim crossed their arms and smirked at the snowman. Alix spoke up. “Alright, fine, you with this one Agreste.” She points a finger at him. She then turns to Kim. “But I definitely won between the two of us.” 

“No way!” Kim exclaimed. “My snowman is better than yours, short stuff.” 

Everyone turned to the two bantering friends. 

“I have to admit, Kim, your snow mound is hard to beat. But I agree with Alix. Hers is actually a snowman.” 

Kim crossed his arms and he squinted at Alya. He turned to Adrien, Nino, and Ivan to see what their opinions were. 

“Sorry Kim. Alix has the better snowman.” Ivan said as he rubbed his neck. 

Nino added. “Dude, I agree.” 

Adrien shrugged. “Same. Sorry Kim.” 

Kim sighed in defeat. “Fine. You win Alix. No dares for a week.” Everyone cheered at that. 

“I’m glad your usual bantering includes no dares as a bet. Man, his dares were getting a little too much.” Alya said as she placed her hands on her hips. “Alright everyone, hang around your snowman. I want pictures of all this!” 

Alya took photos of everyone’s creations and had a passerby take a group photo. They all bid each other farewell and a Merry Christmas as Adrien and Marinette walked towards the bakery. 

“Are you ready for a fun Christmas eve?” Marinette said as she gripped Adrien’s hand. 

“What’s the plan for tonight, bug? I know we are handing out goods, but is there anything else?” 

“You’ll see.” She said with a smirk. 

Adrien smirked back. He couldn’t wait to spend this holiday with some of his favorite people. 


	23. Christmas Carols

Adrien and Marinette walked into the bakery in time to see a line forming near the register. Tom was working in the kitchen, boxing up as many Buche de Noels that he could do alone. Sabine was taking the customer orders in stride, helping everyone gather any last minute delicacies before the bakery closed for the holiday. 

Sabine heard the ringing of the door, prompting her to look up and smile to the incoming customers. When she noticed that the customers were indeed Marinette and Adrien, she smiled brightly and waved them over. “Great timing, you two. We just started with the rush and need help handing out items. Adrien, could you go help Tom with anything he needs in the kitchen?” 

“Yes, ma’am.” Adrien nodded as he took off his winter gear. He promptly walked towards the kitchen muttering something that was incoherent to Marinette and Sabine’s ears, followed by a faint laughter from Tom. 

“Marinette, could you please help me serve customers?” 

Marinette hung up her coat and mittens. “Yes, maman.” 

The rest of the morning and into the afternoon went off without a hitch. Sabine and Tom ran the bakery like a well oil machine, and no number of wrenches that were tossed into the mix wreaked havoc on the day. Adrien enjoyed working with Tom in the kitchen, cleaning up any messes he accidentally created and assisting with boxing up the Buche de Noel for the donating customers. 

Marinette’s assistance in the front of the bakery proved well, per usual. Sabine was able to speak with the customers while Marinette boxed up any treats that they requested, cleaned up messy trays or dropped treats during pack ups, along with clearing out empty trays and bringing out fresh full ones for customers to enjoy. When donations were made for the charity of choice, Marinette would glide into the kitchen to grab one of the packaged boxes and bring it out to the waiting customers. This allowed Sabine to handle other matters that needed to be handled. 

Every so often, the laughter coming from the two men in the back kitchen would carry into the dining area up front, making both Sabine and Marinette chuckle at their antics. Sabine and Marinette would take turns confronting them on being a little too loud with the dad puns, which only made them pun back in response. 

When any of their friends walked in to donate and collect their Buche de Noel, Marinette would scurry into the kitchen to call upon Adrien and bring him out front to say hello. It was nice to see their schoolmates outside of school, but it was even nicer seeing them donate to a cause near and dear to Adrien’s heart. As they each bid their friends goodbye, Adrien would pull Marinette into a hug with a peck on her temple before going back into the kitchen to help Tom; each kiss lingering a bit longer as the day progressed, making Sabine smile each and every time. 

The day grew short with the darkness coming in early indicating that the bakery would soon be closing. The lines of customers that held strong since the lunch time rush dwindled down to streams every hour. It only showed that customers were mostly home handling their affairs as the Christmas holiday drew near. 

As Tom finished cleaning the kitchen with Adrien, Sabine and Marinette finished clearing any remaining trays that needed cleaning and boxing up any treats that wouldn’t be touched over the next two days. Only four Buche de Noels remained in the kitchen, now piled near the register for any last minute customers. 

Tom rubbed his wet hands against a towel as he walked in towards the front to see what was left to complete. “Adrien, why don’t you take one of these home to your father? Actually, if no one else comes, take three of them and bring them to your father, Nathalie, and your bodyguard.” 

“Are you sure?” Adrien smiled as Tom nodded in assurance. “Thanks. They will love it.” 

Within a half hour, the bakery was completely closed and the family headed up the stairs to eat dinner before the festivities began. Adrien didn’t need to be home until late into the evening, and spending time with his girlfriend and her family was all that he really wanted. The mansion grew cold this time of year, both with any holiday semblance and love from the one person he wanted to love him back. Marinette filled those voids this year, and he couldn’t imagine spending any future without her and her wonderful family. He would cherish every minute until he was forced to go home. 

Dinner was quickly created and eaten, and the table was soon cleared before moving on to talks of what the night would consist of. Tom was beaming with anticipation on what they would be doing first. “We are going out to sing Christmas carols!” 

Adrien laughed at his boisterous excitement. “I’ve never done that before.” He shrugged. “What songs do we sing?” 

Tom looked at him wide-eyed. “Oh boy! You are in for a treat then.” He pulled Adrien into a side hug, squeezing his shoulders with his large hands. “We will be singing ‘Jingle Bells’, ‘We Wish you a Merry Christmas’, and whatever else fills our spirit as we sing through the streets.” 

Adrien looked over to Marinette. You could see the love in her eyes as her papa spoke of the caroling. He could see how much this family loved to give and be so selfless. It was refreshing and amazing. 

Marinette walked over to Adrien and placed a kiss to his cheek. “You know, Alya and Nino actually come with us as we sing through the streets.” 

Adrien beamed. Nino never mentioned going along with them each year. I guess he never mentioned it because Adrien was never allowed out to do anything. But he wasn’t going to let that bother him. His best friend and his girlfriend, plus Marinette and her family, all singing together giving joy to all those around? He was ecstatic to be part of all that.

 _"We wish you a Merry Christmas. We wish you a Merry Christmas. We wish you a Merry Christmas, and a happy new year!”_

Marinette had her arm looped around his as they sang out the melody. Nino standing next to him with his arm hooked around Alya’s. Sabine and Tom stood behind the teens while singing alongside Otis and Marlena in joined harmonies. The streets were filled with beautiful music and the Parisians looked to them in wonder and awe. 

A few stopped to watch and sing with them and others smiled as they passed by. The warmed feelings surrounded the group, allowing a magical presence to take shape. Adrien smiled as he sang, looking over to the crowds that walked up to see them. He smiled to Marinette and she smiled back to him, placing her head on his shoulders as he sang her part. 

_“Joy to the world, the Lord is come. Let Earth receive her King.”_

Warmth continued to fill Adrien’s spirit. He enjoyed listening to the sounds that came out of their mouths. He was biased, but they sounded so good melded together in the perfect harmony. Adrien, surprised by his own voice, sang well with them. Hitting the notes where they needed him to hit. He was taken aback when he noticed Marinette unloop her arm from his, a surmounted surge of joy filled her little body as she walked forward to start a new song. 

_“_ _I'd heard there was a secret chord,_ _That David played and it pleased the Lord. But you don't really care for music, do you?”_ Adrien was shocked. Her voice was heavenly. It was as if the angels projected their voices through her. _“The baffled king composing Hallelujah.”_ She bellowed, _“Hallelujah, Hallelujah. Hallelujah, Hallelujah!”_

Adrien couldn’t believe what he heard. This shy girl that he had known for years, had a voice that melted the snow. He took a breath that he didn’t realize he was holding and began singing alongside the others as they took their spots, a wide smile still plastered on his face. When Marinette turned to stand back in her spot and loop her arm around Adrien’s, she noticed a look of complete adoration emanating from his eyes. 

Marinette smiled shyly as she leaned her head against his arm leading him to plant a kiss on her head. “That was absolutely beautiful, my lady.” He whispered in her ear. 

“I have many secrets, chaton. Singing is one of them.” 

He scoffed, but laughed, as the next song started on their loop back home. 

_“Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!”_

A thought crossed Adrien’s mind. He didn’t want to night to end, but knew his time with her as Adrien was almost complete. _Tonight,_ he thought. _I think Chat needs to make a reappearance._


	24. Jingle Bells

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marichat moment.

Marinette sat upon her chaise, curled up with the blanket she had made Adrien a day ago, a cup of hot cocoa was held between her hands. The warmth emanating from the cup was helping heat up the chill that lingered in her fingers from the evening’s festivities. She was lost in thought as the she stared out in the open space, the feeling of loneliness preoccupying her mind. 

She did not usually feel so alone since being with Adrien; especially now knowing that Adrien and Chat are one in the same. Today, though, the feeling felt suffocating. She undeniably and unequivocally missed him.  Adrien had  only  left to return to the mansion about two hours earlier , yet she feels like he has been gone for weeks. 

Marinette smiles at the thought of him.

The evening together had been the best she has had in years. Years of pining over the boy she loved since she was 14 was gone. Instead, she got to enjoy the holiday with him the way he deserved to enjoy it, and in return she got to enjoy it so much more. Baking cookies, singing carols, making these gifts,  listening to stories of his mother , just spending time with him in general... all these moments brought out parts of him she had barely seen. She knows how much love he has in his heart. How much he is willing to give. How much he just wants to cherish these moments with people who love him back. How could she not give him the world? Adrien is the epitome of sunshine. His hair may be golden, and he gives out his  million-dollar watt smile, but yet his aura emanates so much love.

Maybe that’s why she misses him so much tonight. Knowing he had to go back to the coldness of the mansion, with a man who barely acknowledges his presence, made her insides wither in sadness. Christmas is a holiday to be spent with family, not a holiday where it was better to be locked up in a room all while hoping for a moment with someone who may have a sliver of care in their heart. It wasn’t fair to him, but she couldn’t justify a better reason why he shouldn’t go home to his father for the night.

She took a sip from her mug, thumbing her lip to wipe any excess goodness that slipped from the gap between her mouth and cup. She looked over her shoulder to see that her pink  kwami was nestled in her bed of scraps, a half-eaten cookie lying beside her. 

The formation of panic had begun to make a home in her chest. The feeling of loneliness continued to suffocate her. The room now felt like it was too warm to sit there and was now plotting to join in in the suffocation.

Before things took a turn for the worse, she stood up and placed her mug on the table and wrapped the blanket tightly around her shoulders. She slipped on a pair of shoes and walked through her skylight to feel the  frigidity against her bare skin. She welcomed the  cold air that surrounded her as she walked towards the railing . It felt freeing. Marinette inhaled deeply, her eyes closing as she  exhaled heavily . 

She continued to relish in the quietness of the night before a faint ringing could be heard in the distance.  _ Maybe Santa decided it was a perfect time to visit Paris?  _ Marinette opened her eyes and took to the  dark  skies, scouring the clouds for any signs of the red suited man. 

With no Santa in sight, Marinette decided that her imagination was taking over. But before she could finish that thought, the jingling could be heard again, this time  the sound  was slightly closer than it was a few minutes earlier. As she listened and looked, a thought crossed her mind. She clenched the blanket a little tighter around her chest, a hope fueled in her gut. 

She looked over the rooftops. The jingling got closer a nd now a voice could be heard with it . A faint song  was being carried by the wind. It was a happy tone, a jingling bell –  _ her chaton _ . A turn in the direction of the mansion and she sees him. The masked cat with golden hair, singing,  _ “It’s Christmas in Paris, all is cheery and bright,  _ _ But I'm missing my bug tonight. Families are together with their gifts by their side, But I’m missing my bug tonight.” _

Marinette’s lips curled into a smile while a blush brushed her cheeks. Chat finished his song as he vaulted to the rooftop across from hers, a large grin plastered his face when he noticed her silhouette waiting for him. He readied himself before vaulting over. He managed to land a trick flip he had been working on, kneeling down in front of her before grabbing her hand to plant a sweet kiss to her knuckles. When he straightened himself up, he jingled the bell and started to sing.

“Jingle bells, jingle bells, chaton’s on his way.  My lady’s here, Chat’s here to cheer. Now Christmas is here to stay –ay!”

Marinette jumped into Chat’s arms, planting a passionate kiss to his lips. Chat grabbed onto her waist and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. The blanket fell from her shoulders and pooled around her feet, but Marinette didn’t care. She missed her Chaton and all she cared about was being in his arms right at that moment. 

When the air all but left their lungs, they slowly parted ways. Gradually, Marinette opened her eyes noticing that her kitty was completely taken aback from their encounter. He lifted his claws to his lips, slightly swollen with kisses. Both their cheeks were red, but not from the cold. 

Marinette looked to her feet to cool her reaction, but Chat couldn’t look away. He peered at her feet and noticed the blanket only to smirk at the situation.

“I guess both you and your blanket have fallen for me.” Chat said with a wink. He grabbed the blanket and draped it around her shoulders. She brought up her hands to grip the edges tightly to her chest. 

She smiled at his pun as she brushed a few strands of hair that fell into his eyes. 

“Come on, Chaton. Let’s go warm up inside.”

He gladly followed Marinette into her room and dropped his transformation before laying comfortably on her pillows.  Plagg zipped straight to where  Tikki was sleeping, nuzzling and purring quickly beside her. 

“How was your evening with your dad?” Marinette asked as she nuzzled beside him.

Adrien grabbed the blanket and laid it across them, pulling Marinette close to warm her up. “Actually, normal.” He shrugged. “I mean, I saw him for a minute to say Merry Christmas. He wished me one back. Then made sure I invited you over for Christmas dinner tomorrow, after Christmas brunch with your family, of course.”

Marinette stared at him wide-eyed. Adrien continued. “He didn’t say anything further and then went to his office to continue working. I haven’t seen him since, so I told Nathalie I was retiring to my room and not to bother until tomorrow morning.” He brushed a stray strand and pulled it behind her ear. “When it was safe for me to leave, I did. I needed to come  see you. Nothing is better than to spend my holiday with you.”

Marinette leaned in for a kiss. “I swear you have Marinette-senses. I was missing you terribly.” 

“Maybe you have Chat-senses then since you were waiting for me outside.” He furrowed his eyebrows. “Wait, why were you outside in the cold? I know you hate the cold.”

She winced as she revealed why she was really outside. “I started panicking over you not being  here. Before I spiraled too far, I decided to get some fresh air to calm my mind. I don’t know why I was missing you so much. I’m guessing it’s because I know how lonely this holiday is for you, and I couldn’t handle it.” She nuzzled her head against his chest. “Next year, it will be different. We’ll be living together and you never have to go through this holiday alone.”

Adrien smiled. “I wasn’t alone this year. You made me feel so loved and cared for - you and your family. And now that I know that the two loves of my life are the same person, it is just as easy for me to come visit you whenever I wish. That’s why I’m here now.” He weaseled the phone from his pocket and set his alarm before placing it on the bedside table. “And I’m not going anywhere until tomorrow morning before coming right back here and spending the morning with you and your family.”

Marinette yawned into his chest which only caused a giggle out of him. “Goodnight, princess.” Adrien presses a gentle kiss to his sleepy girlfriend’s forehead. “I’ll see you in the morning.” 


	25. Christmas Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Christmas Miracle.

Adrien’s alarm rang a few minutes to six, giving him enough time to say goodbye to Marinette, transform, and land safely back to his room before Nathalie would wake him up for the day. 

He rubbed the sleepy sand from his eyelids and planted kisses on Marinette’s jawline. 

She scrunched up her face and gently swatted away the man who was teasing her awake. “Bad kitty.” She mumbled. 

“Come on bugaboo. I have to go. If I don’t go now, Nathalie will figure out I’m missing and I won’t be able to come by for brunch. Plus, I’ll only be gone for about an hour.” He kissed her lips. “I’ll be back soon. I promise.” 

Marinette pried one eye open while pouting at his words. “I guess if it means I see you soon, then okay. I’ll see you soon.” 

He pressed one last kiss to her lips before calling upon his transformation and vaulting out the skylight in quick action. 

Soon enough, Marinette woke up to Tikki nuzzling her face, reminding her to get ready before Adrien came back over. Marinette slowly woke up, already missing the warmth that had left her side. She ran her hand against the bare spot, smiling at the fact that Adrien had been over sleeping peacefully beside her. It wasn’t the first time he slept over, but it only reminded her that the number of times that they could do this would soon end. 

She chose a pretty shimmery, crimson, long sleeved dress that stopped mid-thigh, and paired it with white leggings and black combat boots. She wore her hair down with strands tied back into a half pony with a crimson bow. Natural looking make-up completed the look. 

“Joyeux Noël! _Merry Christmas!”_ She kissed her maman and papa before moseying into the kitchen to help set the table for morning brunch. She sniffed the air. “Mm. Papa, everything smells so good! What are we having?” 

“The Christmas special! Crepes, fresh fruit, croissants and jam, danishes, and peppermint coffee.” 

“Oh, I can’t wait! Adrien should be here soon.” She remembered her conversation with Adrien the night before and looked over to her maman. “Adrien called me last night after he got home. His father invited me over for dinner today. I was hoping it was okay for me to go with him, only after we finish everything here, I mean.” 

Her maman smiled at her shy request. Even at 18, Marinette was always unsure when it came to family matters. She did not want to hurt her family in any way, also considering that today was a holiday, but she also didn’t want to upset Adrien’s dad and not show up to dinner, even more so that he requested she be there himself (or at least through Adrien). 

“Of course, sweetie. As soon as brunch, presents, and games are done, you are welcome to head over to Adrien’s home. Make sure you bring the box of treats we set aside for him.” Sabine gestured to the pastry box on the table. Her papa must have created a few extra treats for Adrien to bring over today. 

“Thanks, maman.” 

As soon as the table was set, the doorbell rang and Marinette bolted to the door to greet her handsome blonde beau. 

“Joyeux Noël!” Adrien chimed before kissing Marinette. He turned to Tom and Sabine. “Joyeux Noël!” 

“Joyeux Noël!” Tom and Sabine replied back, Tom reaching over and giving Adrien a hug. “You’re just in time! I just finished breakfast and Marinette just finished setting the table.” 

Adrien shifted the gifts that were piled in his hands and Marinette grabbed a few before bringing them to the tree. The family sat and enjoyed the delicious breakfast, laughing over some funny baby Marinette moments from Christmas pasts. It only prompted an embarrassed and flustered Marinette, but Adrien enjoyed that the color of her cheeks matched her dress perfectly. 

Soon enough, the table was cleared and the family all gathered around the tree to open gifts. Sabine handed Adrien two gifts while Tom handed Marinette three. Adrien and Marinette each handed the parents their gifts to open. Adrien received a scrapbook kit and a camera, something that Adrien had said he wanted in passing. Marinette opened hers to reveal brand new artist markers, a sketchbook, and soft emerald fabric that she had been eying. Tom received a personalized apron that said _Master_ _Punny_ _Baker_ with a chef hat and two whisks crossed behind it to look like skull and bones from Adrien and a handmade sweater from Marinette. Adrien gifted Sabine a family tree pendant with birthstones that represented her, Tom, and Marinette and received a handmade ornate dress from Marinette. 

Sabine and Tom each handed a gift to each other while Marinette and Adrien exchanged gifts of their own. Marinette had made Adrien a few cat pun shirts with some physics garble on it while Adrien gifted Marinette a necklace and bracelet set with two very distinct charms on each – a paw print and ladybug on the necklace and a black and pink charm (for Plagg and Tikki) on the bracelet. Adrien noted that once they added members to their own little family, she could add on as many charms as she wanted. 

Games were played and the morning passed quickly before Adrien noticed the time. He turned to Marinette and nodded noting it was time to go. “While I wish I could stay here all day and hang out with all of you, it is time for us to head to Christmas dinner with my Father.” He gathered his things and placed them on the table as Marinette grabbed the pastry box and gifts for Gabriel, Nathalie, and Gorilla and placed it near Adrien’s belongings. 

Tom and Sabine hugged Adrien goodbye, thanking him again for the wonderful gifts and spending time with them. They bid their daughter farewell and shooed them out the door. 

* * *

Marinette and Adrien arrived to the mansion quickly, thanks to his bodyguard. As they entered the atrium of the mansion, Adrien assisted Marinette’s coat off her shoulders and placed it in the arms of his bodyguard. Marinette and Adrien shifted uncomfortably as Nathalie came through the doorway wishing them both Joyeux Noël in a cheerful tone. Marinette smiled and wished her one back, Adrien repeating the phrase with a friendly tone himself. 

“Your father is waiting for you in the dining hall, Adrien.” He nodded and placed a hand to the small of Marinette’s back, both to guide her to the room and for stability. Gabriel stood from his place at the table wishing them both a Joyeux Noël before gesturing to sit at the table in front of them. 

Adrien and Marinette both wished him back as he guided her to his usual spot at the large table. When he noticed the table settings were not set, Adrien looked back to his father and noticed the settings were all placed near Gabriel. With that, he also noticed that there were extra settings at the table, one presumably for Nathalie and the other for Gorilla. He looked to both the secretary and the bodyguard and noticed a smile to their faces, waiting for Marinette and Adrien to take a seat at the table before they took theirs. 

Gabriel looked to Marinette. “Mademoiselle. When you came for lunch a few weeks back and assisted Adrien in trimming the tree, you brought back a light that was missing in this house. I noticed you sitting beside him, allowing Adrien to speak and remember her. You helped _me_ remember those moments that we cherished so much.” His reminder brought up a teary smile. “It helped me so much that every moment I am away from my office, I stand in front of the tree and look to the ornaments that I had given her. The angel – the last one she had given us – is the one I look at the most. It reminds me of her in so many ways.” He looked to his place setting, nudging the wine glass to the side. 

“I know I haven’t been the best lately, especially during this time of year.” Gabriel glanced at Adrien placing a tender hand over his. “I miss your mother terribly, but that is no excuse for me to ignore you. And I deeply regret doing that to you. I’m sorry.” 

Adrien audibly swallowed. Marinette guided her hand over to his, encouraging Adrien to speak in order to break the silence. 

“All I wanted was for us to be a family, Father. I wished you could have been there all the times I needed you. I wished so much for that. I accept your apology, and I love you, but I would love for us to work on our family before I can forgive you completely.” 

Gabriel nodded in understanding. “That’s all I ask.” 

The dinner moved forward with conversations between all parties. Adrien still could not believe what had happened; his father was actually speaking to him and his girlfriend. Nathalie was having a meaningful conversation with them all. Laughter and jokes were at the table. Even Gorilla smiled! 

At one point, Adrien leaned into Marinette’s ear and whispered, “Am I in shock and this is all a dream or is this really happening?” 

Marinette turned to Adrien and smiled as she put a hand on his. “I’m calling this a Christmas miracle. But I’m proud of you and standing your ground. I just hope he continues to treat you like this.” 

“Years of damage won’t be fixed overnight, but I’m willing to try if he is.” Marinette nodded in agreement. “But it is a Christmas miracle, indeed.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, yeah, yeah. Good Guy Gabriel happened. It's a fluffy story. I wanted him to be nice to his son. That poor cinnamon roll needs all the love he can get. 
> 
> (He's still terrible in canon though.)


	26. Snowball Fight

Adrien excused himself to the bathroom to catch his breath. He leaned over the sink and turned on the faucet to drown out his haggard breathing. Plagg zipped out of his overshirt and stared at his chosen as he hovered to the side. After a few moments, Adrien looked up to the mirror to view his face. “My father apologizing wasn’t a dream, right Plagg?” 

The kwami looked over to Adrien and nodded. “Trust me kid, I’m just as shocked as you are. But I would stay weary. Who knows why he’s acting like this.” 

Adrien stared at himself. “I know. I’m just waiting for him to say something that would make this all seem real. I just hoped for so long that now I wasn’t expecting it to really happen.” 

“If you ask me, he talked fondly about pigtails. You should really thank her for his behavior change.” 

The little god was right. His father spoke highly of Marinette. He admitted that her presence brought so much good in this house – a light, in his words. Marinette’s actions that day sparked his Grinch-like heart to grow three sizes this year. He was moved by her fondness that he went as far as apologizing to Adrien for his inexcusable nonsense of their deteriorating relationship. 

She did that, and in her own miraculous way, she brought them together. 

Marinette, in and out of the suit, was a treasure. Everywhere she went she brought the light. She cared for everyone, even for Lila and Chloe (sparsely, of course), but she deserved so much for everything she has done. 

“Meeting Marinette was the best day of my life. I’ve known that since the moment I fell in love with her. Twice, even!” He turned to Plagg. “She even made the most impossible thing possible. Even though it’s still early to consider it possible, but the fact that he is out there speaking to both of us, laughing, and smiling? I don’t know how I could ever repay her.” 

“You love her, right?” Adrien nodded at Plagg’s question. He barrel-rolled in the air as he placed his paws behind his head. “Prove it to her.” 

A puzzling look overtook Adrien’s face as he pondered over the statement. Marinette deserved the world. Being with her made everything in his life so much better. The last time he remembered being this happy was when his mom was around. Becoming Chat Noir made his life amazing, but he still had many moments of sadness and disappointment, especially when it came to missed opportunities with his friends. His friends made him happy, but Marinette... Marinette. She magnified those happy moments every single time. Whether it was when she was Ladybug or herself, those moments with her always made him the happiest. 

A smile pressed his lips. “Plagg. I never want to let her go. Like ever. She is the best thing to come into my life. I’ve already told her that I don’t want to have a future if it isn’t with her. I can’t imagine my life without her. She makes me so happy. She makes me feel so loved. I love her so much I could shout it from the rooftops!” The lovesick grin and softness in his eyes only made Plagg smile, even if he wasn’t a fan of all the mushiness. 

“So, what are you going to do about it, kid?” 

“I’m going to ask her to marry me. Not right now. Not today. It’s got to be perfect. I know we’re 18, but we’ll be moving in together this summer. We don’t have to get married right now. We can finish university first.” He started pacing the bathroom. “We don’t have to move that fast. I just want her to know that I’m serious about us and about our future. I want to one day have a home, have our three kids that she always talks about, maybe get a cat and also get a hamster that she wanted to name-” 

A knock on the door interrupted his ramblings. 

“Adrien? Sweetie? Are you okay? You’ve been in there a while. I just want to make sure you aren’t having a panic attack over everything today.” 

Adrien looked at the door and flustered, shutting the water off sheepishly. “Yeah, I’m okay.” He opened the door to see Marinette’s concerned eyes. _Goodness, she’s stunning._ He rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, I started panicking a bit. It’s all a little too much to take in at once. I’m not used to his affectionate behavior.” 

Marinette took a step forward and placed a loving hand on his bicep, rubbing soothing circles to it. “Do you want to take a break and take a walk in the courtyard? I haven’t said Merry Christmas to your mother’s monument yet.” 

Adrien nodded and grasped her hand, guiding them both to the coat closet to grab their winter gear. 

The fresh air helped clear Adrien’s mind. Marinette’s hand was in the crook of his elbow while his own hands were deep within his pockets to keep warm. She nuzzled her nose into his shoulder and spoke softly about the conversations that had continued when Adrien stepped away. Adrien smiled at what was said, and agreed when Marinette admitted that Nathalie had an awfully cute giggle. 

When they stood in front of the monument, Marinette smiled before wishing the late Agreste a heartfelt Merry Christmas. It was something Marinette remembered Adrien doing during her birthday, his birthday, and the anniversary of her death, so she knew he would have done this on Christmas too. 

The look of longing in his face only confirmed that she was correct in her thinking. Doing this for him only warmed her heart. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “Marinette, you are seriously amazing. How did I get so lucky to deserve someone as wonderful as you?” 

“Being you is lucky enough. You deserve the world.” 

“Well, you know black cats are unlucky, and being the wielder of destruction only adds to the bad luck. But you, my everyday ladybug, are my lady luck. So, I am lucky to have picked the luckiest lady of all.” 

Marinette squinted her eyes at his pun-filled statement and pursed her lips in frustration. She let go of his arm and crossed her arms across her chest. “Is that so. Well, maybe you aren’t that lucky at all.” 

Adrien shrugged his shoulders and turned away from her. “Hey, I only speak the truth.” 

“Is that so?” She said slowly. 

“Yep, and I will always- _humph!_ ” Adrien was caught with a surprise snowball to the back of his head. “Oh, this is war!” He shouted. 

Quickly, Adrien scooped up a handful of packed snow and chucked it at the bluenette. She dodged at the last second before throwing her already made snowball at his chest. She laughed at his mock-hurt of being hit that she didn’t see the incoming snowball that landed in her face. She was stunned, but decided that she needed to charge in his direction, scooping up another handful of snow in the process. 

Adrien laughed at her determination and bolted to the left, bobbing and weaving to help deter her good aim. He scooped another handful of snow and threw it over his shoulder, missing Marinette by a few centimeters. She took the opportunity and threw not one, not two, but three packed snowballs that were hidden in the shelf she made with her arm against her chest, hitting Adrien in the chest, back, and face with rapid fire. 

His Chat Noir was showing. He feigned being shot, dropping to his knees before falling face first into a pile of snow. Still laying there, he propped his arm up, waving his finger around like a makeshift flag surrendering to the opposing team. 

Marinette lifted her arms in the air and ran around him in excitement over the win. She was channeling her inner Kim when he competed and won against Alix. 

Adrien got up and dusted the snow off his clothes before bowing to the champion. “To the winner.” 

“Thank you, thank you.” Marinette said as she curtsied to him. “And what is my prize for winning?” She teased. 

Adrien smirked. “This.” He picked her up and spun her around, landing a passionate kiss to her lips. Once they parted, she smiled at the reward. “And a mug of hot cocoa.” Marinette nodded excitedly in agreement. 

He grabbed her hand. “Come on. Let’s get back inside.”


	27. Candles

The common was busy with people bustling around with the after Christmas rush. Customers were in and out of shops trying to use up any gift certificates that they had received or returning items that were not to their taste or not their size. Adrien smiled happily at the movements, pocketing his hands as he whistled away. 

Plagg was sitting peacefully in Adrien’s scarf, purring at his chosen’s happiness. Adrien had been spending the last two days focused on how to make his proposal perfect. He knew he wanted to do it soon; Valentine’s Day was too cliché and too far away (even though that _was_ the anniversary of their first date), but New Year’s seemed like a perfect time. The only problem was that they hadn’t made any concrete plans on what they would be doing or where they would be going. But nonetheless, he needed to get started with the most important part of a proposal – the ring. Everything else could be figured out after the fact. 

Any free moment that Adrien had was spent looking at rings on his phone or computer. At one point, his intense smiling intrigued Nathalie enough to ask if he was up to something with the baker’s daughter. Adrien blushed, of course; he didn’t think his smiling would be a cause of concern. Sheepishly, he rubbed his neck as he contemplated on whether to tell Nathalie what he had been smiling at. Before he could answer, Gabriel walked through the dining hall ready to have dinner with his son. 

His father was keeping his promise; he was now joining Adrien for meals. His father started the conversations with meaningful topics and ended them with farewell greetings. He even asked how Marinette was doing and what her plans for university and internships would be. By that afternoon, right before he left to search the shops at the common, Adrien decided to take a leap of faith and tell his father his thoughts. 

“I’m planning on proposing to Marinette.” He said abruptly, interrupting the laughter between Gabriel and Nathalie. 

Nathalie glanced straight at Adrien without missing a beat. Adrien had his head down, slowly nudging the fork on his plate, his eyes peering through his tousled fringe towards his father. He waited for the response he knew would come – _No Adrien. You’re too young. She’s an inspiring designer who is only using you for your connections. It will be detrimental to the brand for you to be tied down already._ No matter what Gabriel was about to say, he would refuse right away and go his own path. He will do anything he needs to do to be with Marinette. 

What came out of his father’s mouth was nothing short of a miracle. 

“I hope you asked her father for her hand then.” He said with a smile. 

Adrien was shocked. He looked up to his father and noticed a loving look to his eyes. “I remember when I was your age,” Gabriel started, “your mother and I had been together for a little over a year. We met young and we were deeply in love by that point, much like the love that emanates between the two of you.” 

A smile pressed Adrien’s lips as he heard the soft words about his mother. 

“The moment I knew I wanted to marry her, I went straight to her father and asked for her hand. The silent approval that shot across his face was all I needed to move forward and buy the ring that she had worn for the rest of her days.” He grabbed his glass and took a swig of wine. “We were 18, too. Still in school and figuring out our future. It seems that the apple does not fall far from the tree, especially when it comes to the love of our lives.” 

“So... you approve?” Adrien said hesitantly, waiting to see if there was a ‘but’. 

“Marinette is an amazing young lady. Not just as a designer, but in the way she cares for her loved ones and how she cares and loves you. No one can mistake how much she loves you. She’s selfless and has many qualities that remind me of your mother. She will make an amazing wife and mother one day.” 

With that, Adrien sprung from his seat to awkwardly hug his father in thanks before grabbing his winter gear and running out the door to see Marinette’s father. 

Luckily for Adrien, Marinette was out of the house and spending time with Alya so meeting Tom and Sabine in private had been easy. Sitting them down was not as easy, so he nervously blurted out his plans and waited for their reactions. To say they were ecstatic was an understatement. Tom wrapped Adrien in a bear hug while Sabine waited until he was let down before hugging and kissing her future son-in-law. Once he bid them goodbye, he walked towards the common to search for the perfect ring. 

So, there he was whistling as he walked around, the happiest he could be at this moment. He sees the jewelry store across the street and waits for the light to flash before he trudged forward. As he waited, his phone rang with a familiar ringtone; a contact he hadn’t seen for some time flashed across his phone. 

“Hey, Chloe. Merry Christmas.” He said happily. 

“Adrikins! Merry Christmas to you too!” She happily said back. 

The last three years had been tough for Chloe. After she was akumatized into Miracle Queen, she faced serious repercussions for siding with Hawkmoth. To avoid further backlash, it was decided that Chloe would move to New York with her mother to fix up her life, and honestly, it was the best thing they ever did for her. 

She came back over the summer with a new outlook on life. She personally went and apologized to her classmates for exposing them to Hawkmoth, bullying them, and using her father as a way to get around things she didn’t want to do. She reached out to Sabrina and treats her the way she should be treated. She even took Marinette out and apologized for everything she had done to her and is now friendly with her too. It took a lot for Chloe to realize what she had done wrong and she was using her time back to fix it all. 

“I know it’s cutting it close, but if you and Marinette don’t have any plans on New Year’s Eve, my father is having a party and I would love for you two to be there.” 

Adrien smiled at her invitation and crossed the street towards the shop. “I don’t see why not. Marinette and I haven’t decided on what we wanted to do. I’ll have to call her and ask of course, but I don’t think she would say no.” 

He entered the shop and looked around to the jewelry on display when an ornate pink stone gleamed in the light. A smile crossed his lips when an idea sprung his brain. “Hey Chloe? Is the rooftop decorated like usual?” 

* * *

Adrien picked up Marinette from Alya’s home and walked them towards the restaurant he had reservations for. It was their usual weekly routine – a stroll down the Seine, a restaurant date (either a café or restaurant of the dater’s choosing), and back to one of their homes for a movie and cuddles. Tonight, Adrien was the one who was taking Marinette out on the date and he chose a beautiful, candlelit dinner at _Le Cinq._

Snow was slowly falling around them creating another beautiful chilly night in Paris. Marinette was holding onto Adrien’s arm with gusto, laughing over the silly conversations she and Alya had that afternoon. Adrien added to the conversation, talking about the friendly argument Nathalie and his Father had over dinner. Soon, the couple reached the doorway to the restaurant and just like the gentleman that he is, he swung open the door for his lady as she sauntered her way in. 

The venue was warm and enchanting with the twinkling lights adorning the bushes outside the windows. A Christmas tree stood tall in the entryway, garland hung on the fireplace at the very end of the large room, and candles lit up each table beautifully. It was not the first time they had been at this restaurant. Adrien had taken Marinette there as one of their first dates many months ago. It was beautiful, but pricey, and Marinette enjoyed being spoiled every once in a while, even if this type of venue was not her cup of tea. 

Adrien chose this place as a memento for his thoughts, the day that both his father and her parents gave their blessings over the impending proposal and the day he bought the ring he would soon give her. His plans have been set in motion, and he was choosing to spend the next few days doting on his beloved, spoiling her rotten until Tuesday night when he will get down on his knee and ask her to make him the happiest man for the rest of his days. 

They spent a few romantic hours at the restaurant, eating, drinking, and conversing over the candlelight. Each passing minute felt like seconds, the hours feeling like minutes, sitting until all the wine was drunk and all the food was eaten. 

Back at the Agreste mansion, the two love struck teens sat comfortably on the sofa watching movie after movie until it was time for her leave for the night. Marinette leaned comfortably into Adrien’s body soaking in the warmth and enjoying the purrs that came easily from his chest. The sudden calmness was enough for Marinette to slowly drift asleep, Adrien drifting along with her. 


	28. Snowed In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A snowstorm rolls in on an unsuspecting couple.

Adrien shifted uncomfortably on the sofa as he felt a pressure pressing against his chest. Slowly opening one eye, he noticed that Marinette was still wrapped up in his arms snoring soundly against him. He shuffled a bit to the side to fish his phone out of his pocket, realizing it was already close to midnight. 

Feeling abashed and surprised that neither his father, his bodyguard, nor Nathalie had interrupted their accidental sleep session, he slowly kissed Marinette awake with a little jostle in between. 

“Hey, princess.” 

“Hmm.” Marinette said sleepily. 

“It’s close to midnight. We need to get you home before your parents worry about you.” 

Marinette jumped up in shock, nearly slamming into his jaw in the process. She pulled on her pigtails and ran over to her phone to see if she missed any of their calls. In her process of freaking out, Marinette didn’t notice that Adrien had moved towards the door, greeting his father who had apparently knocked and walked in. 

“Mademoiselle.” Marinette stopped and turned to look at the older Agreste. “Do not stress. We have already contacted your parents. While you both had fallen asleep, an unexpected snowstorm had come through dropping in a few centimeters of snow in the process.” Both Marinette and Adrien looked towards the windows and noticed about 20 centimeters of snow had already accumulated on the balcony. “Nathalie had come in here earlier to notify you both and recommend an early departure home before the storm became worse, but when she noticed you both asleep, she recommended that you stay here in case the roads were too dangerous to drive on. I agreed and I had her call your mother and inform them that it would be in the best interest to allow you to stay the night.” 

Marinette was wide-eyed but touched over the actions. “Thank you, Monsieur. I hope I am not imposing anything.” 

“Not at all. Your safety comes first.” Gabriel smiled. “You’re welcome to sleep in the guest room if you would like.” He turned on his heel to walk towards the door. He stopped and looked over his shoulder. “Or you may sleep in here.” And just like that, he was out the door. 

Adrien looked over to Marinette and noticed her stunned appearance. “Did he- did he just- wait. What?” 

Marinette said just as much as Adrien thought. He smiled bashfully, rubbing his neck in his nervous gesture. “I mean, it’s not like we haven’t slept together before.” He went wide-eyed at his wording. “I mean- _not like that!_ I meant, sleeping, like we were just now.” He let out an embarrassed groan as he covered his face with his hands. 

She let out a quiet giggle over his flustered ramblings. “Mon minou, I know what you mean.” She walked over to him to grasp his hands and pull them away from his face. “I can sleep in the guest room if you want; you know your father better than I do. But if he allowed it by saying that and walking away... well, I just know I sleep better when I sleep next to you.” 

Adrien looked down and smiled sweetly at her. “Well, my bed is big enough. Plagg likes to take up one side of the bed, though, but maybe we could share a nice portion of it if we asked nicely.” They both let out a few giggles. 

“I like that idea.” She smirked at him in a teasing glance. Feigning concern, she looked to Adrien and placed a hand on her chest. “Oh no. What ever shall I do? I don’t have any clothes to sleep comfortably tonight.” A blush appeared on the tips of Adrien’s cheeks. “Does my handsome prince have any clothes to aid in my quest?” 

After a few minutes of playful bantering, Adrien handed Marinette a pair of spotted pajama bottoms and a black kitty shirt for her to sleep in. Marinette giggled over the size of the shirt, a little long for her small frame, but the smell of his shampoo and cologne made up for the funny look. 

They climbed into Adrien’s bed, nuzzling comfortably beside each other as the two kwamis slept soundly on the pillow beside them. They quietly spoke of silly things until both were yawning and drifting into a peaceful slumber. 

* * *

Morning arrived and Marinette was sleeping peacefully beside Adrien. He peered to the clock and noticed the time, confused that Nathalie did not interrupt and instruct them for breakfast. He placed a kiss to Marinette’s head before slowly releasing her grip on him. He made his way down the stairs to the dining hall where he heard familiar laughter ringing through the air. 

Gabriel noticed the disheveled boy first, smiling and greeting at his entrance. “Good morning, son. Sleep well?” 

Adrien ran a hand through his messy hair. “Yeah, I’m surprised you didn’t wake us for breakfast.” 

“You have a guest. I’m not going to interrupt. I see that she chose to stay with you instead of using the guest bedroom.” 

Adrien blushed at his words. He did not want his father to overthink anything so he did what he knows best – fudge the truth. “Marinette and I couldn’t sleep right away and decided to talk. We must had fallen asleep again.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Sorry about that.” 

“No need to fluster, Adrien. I’m only teasing.” He drank from his coffee cup. “The snow had stopped shortly after our talk last night. The roads are still being cleared, but should be okay to drive her home in a few hours. All I ask is that she join us for lunch before heading back home.” 

Adrien nodded at the request and trudged back to his room to lay in Marinette’s embrace a little while longer. He dozed off for another hour waking up closer to 9. Adrien stirred, jostling Marinette awake in the process. 

“Good morning, my lady.” He said with a kiss to her temple. “Nice to see you stirring awake this winter morning.” 

Marinette gave him a sleepy smile before retorting back. “Only because you moved.” 

Adrien couldn’t contain the giggle that bubbled in his chest. “Well, it is time to wake up and get ready for the day. My father has requested that you join us for lunch before I bring you home.” 

“It’s the least I can do since he actually cared for my safety and let me stay here.” The shocked tone did not surprise Adrien one bit. 

“Listen, I’m surprised just as well.” He rolled onto his back. “He’s really been surprising me. Eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner with me, Nathalie joining the meal times, the laughter and conversations - I can’t get over it.” 

Marinette kissed the crook of his neck prompting shivers down his spine. “Don’t worry, mon minou. I’ll gladly join you.” 

Adrien and Marinette shuffled down to the kitchen to grab any pastries that had been set out for the breakfast earlier. They sat and ate in the enormous chef’s kitchen, not wanting to sit at the table in the hall. 

Marinette took a moment to quickly call her maman letting her know of her morning plans. In the process, Nathalie had brought Marinette some extra clothes from _Gabriel_ ’s winter line giving her a chance to freshen up for the day. A few rounds of video games later and both teens were called for lunch. 

Lunch was full of comfortable conversations. Nathalie was a jokester and liked to tease, bringing up silly moments from when Emile and Gabriel were younger. Gabriel had started off embarrassed, but soon joined in the playful jokes and added some silly moments of his own. 

The smile on Adrien’s face said all that needed to be said. He wanted his home back. He wanted his father to love him and spend time with him. He wanted a moment where there were no awkward conversations between a father and a son. He wanted the same things that Marinette had with her family. This year, his wishes were finally coming true. 

Marinette squeezed Adrien’s hand and smiled back, grounding him from his thoughts that this was all a sick dream. The feeling of elation filled his heart and it was all because of the woman that sat beside him. That was why he knew he needed to marry that girl and never let her go. He would never be able to find anyone that could surpass her love. Not ever. 


	29. Mittens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The blue scarf makes a reappearance.

Marinette was safetly back at her home for about an hour before her fingers itched to be busy. Adrien had mentioned Chloe’s party early into their date the night before and wondered if she had time to create a new dress with some fabric that she had. She sat up from her chaise under the comfort of her warm blankets and looked to her phone to see the time. She had about a day and a half to complete a dress from start to finish. It wasn’t impossible if it was for other circumstances, but knowing Marinette and her indecisiveness, creating and finishing the dress wouldn’t probably happen in 30 hours. 

She sat there staring at her naked mannequin heavily contemplating on her decision. She sighed before standing up and walking towards her closet to see if there was a dress she could wear or freshen up. Since this was a Bourgeois party, wearing a fancy dress was almost precedented. Adrien did mention to look her best and wearing a beautiful dress that would completement her form wouldn’t be a bad idea. She didn’t have many excuses to wear some of the lavish gowns she designed for herself, so wearing one of them would be perfect. 

Sorting through the closet, she noticed a pink dress that could easily work for the event. She removed it from the closet and splayed it over the mannequin to have a better view. It was a blush bell-style dress with a sweetheart neckline. The dress itself had a shimmery pink tulle layer that started from the neckline and reached her collar bones, giving a modest look the dress. The dress fell right above her knee and had a silver snowflake pin that sat perfectly near her right shoulder. It was elegant and beautiful. 

She slid her fingers over the fabric to check for any issues with the stitching, smiling pleasantly over the design. Marinette backed up and lulled her head from one side to the other, quietly deciding what shoes and accessories would work with the dress. She trudged to her closet and found two possible contenders – a silver pair pumps and a black pair of t-strap shoes. Placing them in front of her mannequin, she graced slowly towards the jewelry box to find a perfect set of silver bangles and grabbed a complimentary snowflake pin for her hair. Looking back at the shoes, she decided on sticking with the silver look would look best and chose the pumps. 

Happy with her decision, she sat back on the chaise and had seen that a text from Adrien was waiting for her reply. 

**Kitty:** Hey, did I leave my gloves at your house when I dropped you off? 

Marinette furrowed her brows remembering the drive and him escorting her into her home. 

**Buginette** **:** No, I don’t even remember you wearing them to drop me off. Did you wear them when we were playing in the snow yesterday? 

**Kitty:** I did. I can’t remember where I put them. :( 

**Buginet** **t** **e** : My poor kitten has lost his mittens? 

**Kitty:** I think so. I can’t believe I can’t find them. 

**Buginette** **:** You’ll find them soon, minou. Don’t worry. 

Marinette chewed on her bottom lip when she heard the wind howling outside her window. She worried that he really lost his mittens, and if the restlessness in her fingers gave an indication, she lifted herself up from the chaise and rummaged the box on her table, finding a skein of blue wool yarn and knitting needles. 

Aimlessly, she started on the design, reminding herself that it needs to be fairly large to fit Adrien’s fingers. She smiled happily over the color, remembering the scarf she made him for his 14th birthday. He still had no idea that the scarf was made by her. Four years later and multiple homemade designs for him, he was none the wiser and she was okay with it. Hoping this newest addition to his ever-growing collection would please him, she quickly worked the wool, happily humming to herself as the yarn looped in and out of the needles. 

After about an hour and a half, Marinette finished the first mitten, happily sighing over the design. She placed the mitten down ready to start the next one when another text came through. 

**Kitty:** Hey, did you decide what you are wearing tomorrow? I want to match the color. 

**Buginette** **:** I’m wearing a blush pink dress. But it has silver in it too. You can go either way and it will match. 

**Kitty:** Thanks, love. 

**Buginette** **:** No problem, chaton. 

Marinette chuckled quietly to herself as she started on the next mitten. Midway through the process, Marinette’s maman called her down for supper and she happily stretched her fingers for a bit while she distracted herself with some delicious food. 

After some time away, Marinette hummed sweetly as she handed her kwami a cookie before sitting back down and finishing the design. Once she made sure both mittens looked fine, she packaged them up nicely in some green tissue paper and silver ribbon and looked herself in the mirror before deciding a quick trip as Ladybug would be justified. He had visited her quite often as Chat; she could return the sweet gesture to him and visit him as Ladybug. 

Coaxing her kwami with a large slice of chocolate cake, Tikki begrudgingly allowed Marinette to leave the warmth of her home to see Adrien. She texted him quickly to make sure he was still home, all while not trying to give away her little plan. When she was sure he would not be leaving tonight, she transformed and gathered the gift and yo-yoed her way towards the mansion. 

* * *

Adrien was sitting comfortably on his couch playing one of his favorite video games when he noticed a flash of red in the sea of white. Even though it was dark outside now, he knew that Ladybug was outside of his home. 

Trudging happily towards the window, he swung the glass open hoping that it wasn’t an illusion and it was in fact Ladybug coming by to see him. He waited a few moments for her to appear, only to feel the briskness of the cold air coming through. A frown crossed his lips as he feared he was imagining things. He slowly turned back to the couch but heard the swoosh of the indestructible tether before a small thud resonated in the room. Turning quickly with a bright smile plastered on his face, he noticed Ladybug standing in his room, her cheeks tinted rosy from the cold smiling sweetly back at him. 

He closed the window to lock in the warmth and rushed to her side, picking her up and twirling her around in circles. Adrien pressed his lips to hers, soaking in the sights of his superheroine girlfriend making a rare appearance to his room. 

Between the two, Marinette almost never uses her powers for personal use – Tikki being a stickler for kwami rules and such. She must have bribed her with something extra delicious for her to allow this. 

Finally bringing her down to the ground, Adrien smiled brightly prompting a giggle from Ladybug. 

“And what do I owe this pleasant visit from one of the most beautiful heroes of Paris?” Adrien said smoothly. 

“A certain kitty notified me that he lost his mittens. I could not let him go without a little something warm to keep his cute paws from freezing, so I thought I would deliver a special package all the way from the office of Marinette Dupain-Cheng Designs.” 

Adrien could only stare lovingly at what she said. Ladybug handed him the wrapped present and left a chaste peck to his lips before he tore open the tissue. Eyeing the mittens, he brushed his thumbs over the wool, knowing that it would be warm and comforting to wear in the cold. The blue seemed oddly familiar, reminding him of a scarf that he received many years ago on his birthday. 

He wrapped Ladybug in a hug, thanking her for the thoughtful gift. He then walked over to his desk and grabbed the scarf, looking over the knitting and comparing it to the mittens. Ladybug stiffened a bit, not realizing he would make the connection so quickly. 

Adrien turned to Ladybug and frowned, holding both items in his hands. Ladybug dropped her transformation before walking towards her not-so-oblivious boyfriend. 

“Marinette, did you make me this scarf for my birthday?” 

Marinette smiled sheepishly, blushing a bit before looking to the floor. She finally nodded a quick ‘yes’ before looking up at him to see his reaction. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” 

“You looked so happy when you thought your dad gifted it to you. I was so happy seeing you happy that I kept that little secret to myself... Are you mad?” 

Adrien walked up to Marinette and wrapped her up in a hug. “You have always been so amazing. You said you loved me since the beginning. All these little things really showed me you did. I could never be mad at you.” 

Another hug and kiss were given before Marinette had to transform and make her way back to her home. Adrien sat on his bed and looked over the handmade gifts. “Two more days, Plagg. Just two more days until I ask her. She deserves the world.” 

Plagg sits with his wheel of cheese, smiling to himself over his chosen’s happiness. 


	30. Endings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe's New Year's Eve Party
> 
> Part 1 of 2

Marinette could hardly contain her excitement. Today was the New Year’s Eve party at _Le_ _Grande_ _Hotel_. It would not be the first time Marinette had attended an event with Adrien, but it would be the first one where she could wear one of her designs and where both her and Adrien could freely be themselves without Gabriel keeping an eye on them. They wouldn’t be able to be completely free – paparazzi and all taking photos of the now prominent couple, but she would be able to be a little less “uptight”. 

Adrien had a planned photo shoot that would last a good portion of the morning so Marinette decided to spend the day relaxing until she needed to ready herself for the party. She never makes enough time for herself to relax. With no commissions to work on, no more Christmas gifts to make, no help needed in the bakery, and no boyfriend to attend to, Marinette decided to do just that. 

She made her way to the bathroom and started up a warm bath, placing candles around the room for a little ambiance. She dropped pink petals in the bath along with the sweet-smelling bath salts that Alya had gifted her for Christmas. Wrapping her hair up in a bun, she turned her phone on to some calming music and lowered herself in the bath, inhaling the sweet aromas that surrounded her. 

Feeling herself pruned and cold as the warm bath exhausted all its heat, she wrapped herself up in her warmest lounge wear and sat in a lump on her chaise. She grabbed a few extra blankets that laid at the end of the chaise and curled up to a book that she received from her Secret Santa. 

Marinette dozed off for a bit, waking up to the little pings that emanated from her cell phone. She blindly searched for it with her eyes closed, prying open one eye to see who the message was from. Surprisingly it was Chloe, reminding her of the time of the event and to make sure she brought a jacket so they could watch the fireworks from her rooftop terrace instead of watching it from the main floor of the hotel with everyone else. 

Smiling for her thoughtfulness, Marinette typed up a quick ‘thanks’ for the heads up and looked at the time. She had about two hours to get ready before Adrien would pick her up and drive her to the party. As if he could read her mind, a sweet face of a blond-haired boy showed up on the screen. Smiling, Marinette answered the video call. 

“Hey, princess.” 

“Hey hot stuff. How was the photo shoot?” 

Adrien rolled his eyes before smiling. “The usual. At least it wasn’t outside. Four outfit changes and countless re-shoots later, I was finally able to eat lunch and rest while the photographer took photos of the other models. But, enough about that. What have you been up to without me, my lady?” 

Marinette stretched out her arms to pan out her location. “Just snuggling with ten blankets on my chaise. I finally took a long bath with those bath salts Alya got me and then I put on my most snugly outfit to read a book. I took a nap until Chloe texted me about tonight.” 

“I’m jealous of your day off.” Adrien smirked before furrowing his brows in confusion. “Why did Chloe text you?” 

“She just wanted me to make sure we knew what time to get there for and then to make sure I brought a warm jacket for tonight.” 

Adrien had to think quickly. “Oh, for the fireworks?” 

“Yeah, she said while the other guests use the main floor of the lobby, the three of us could go and use the rooftop terrace. I thought that was sweet of her.” 

“Yeah, that is pretty awesome. Every time I got to hang out with her during New Year’s, that’s what we did.” He stared out, presumably towards to floor, thinking of those moments. “She can really be a good friend when she doesn’t act like a brat.” 

“I know. I can see she’s worked really hard to get where she is now. Even though things are still tense between us, I’m glad to have started forming a friendship with her.” 

“I’m glad you guys are friends.” Adrien looked up and nodded before returning back to the screen. “Hey, I just got home. I’m going to shower before I pick you up. I’ll see you in about two hours?” 

“See you soon. Love you.” 

“Love you too.” 

* * *

Adrien arrived at Marinette’s home right on time, running up the steps to gather his princess. Tom opened the door and wrapped him in a bear hug while Sabine tried to coax her husband to put him down lest he ruin his suit. Sabine looks over to Adrien and pats a loving hand on his arm, cooing over how handsome he looks in his black suit. Keeping the look simple, he decided to go with a silver tie to match the silver cuff links that he had in his stash. 

“Marinette should be down soon. She was just finishing up a hem that came undone on her gown.” She smiled. 

Adrien was excited but nervous. The ring sat comfortably in his pocket ready to be revealed when the moment was right. Chloe was in his corner to help him set the ambiance for the night. He was lucky to have a friend like her in his life. 

Small talks were passed between the two men while Sabine walked up the steps to call upon her daughter. “Marinette, are you all right up there?” 

“Yes, maman. I’m coming. I just need to put my shoes on!” Marinette responded loudly. 

Soon footsteps could be heard and Adrien suddenly stopped breathing. Marinette slowly walked down the steps to avoid falling and looked straight to see Adrien’s focused attention. His jaw was slacked, a silly grin started to curl on his lips. He’s the famous model and yet he was looking at her star-struck. 

Marinette looked beautiful in her blush gown. The simple bangles were the perfect accessory to her outfit. She wore her hair in a low side bun, tied messily with the snowflake pinned ever so carefully to the front of it. A few loose strands straddled her face perfectly and her makeup was done to accentuate her eyes, making it even bluer - if that was even possible - with a simple eyeliner and pink eye shadow. 

Adrien didn’t know when Marinette reached him, but he couldn’t believe she was right there in front of him. He finally let go of the breath he was holding and lifted her hand ever so slowly to his lips, kissing the knuckles with little pecks. A blush reached Marinette’s cheeks. “You look absolutely beautiful.” 

Marinette stared lovingly to him. “You don’t look too bad yourself, _mon_ _minou_ _._ ” 

After a few pictures from Tom, he teared up a bit at how adorable they looked together and included a rant about the cute grandchildren he would have one day. Sabine kissed both teens and told them to enjoy the night before Marinette became too flustered at him. 

* * *

The party was enjoyable. There were a few elite guests there for the Mayor. Sabrina was there spending time with Chloe. Marinette made small talk while Adrien was called over by one of the fashion icons that he would frequently converse with. 

Marinette and Adrien spent a good amount of time on the dance floor, dancing to every slow song that they could until Marinette’s toes were screaming in pain. Adrien was a gentleman and grabbed two glasses of wine for him and his date, sitting beside her as they talked about the people around them. 

Chloe would look at the unsuspecting couple ever so often, looking at the clock to help set up the plan for Adrien. He requested a bottle of champagne and two flutes up to the side of the grand piano on the terrace and to make sure the setting was perfect. All she had to do was have someone finish the last touches 15 minutes to midnight so he could bring her up there at 10 of. 

Adrien excused himself to see Chloe while Marinette continued to rest. “Is everything in place?” The nerves could be heard in his voice. 

“I just sent Jean Claude up there to make it magical.” Chloe smiled. “She’s going to love it.” 

“You’re the best, Chloe.” He wrapped his arm around her. 

“Go on, go on. You have ten minutes to get up there.” 

Adrien coaxed Marinette up from her seat and brought her up to the terrace. 

“Is Chloe and Sabrina coming?” 

“Yeah, they will be up in a minute. Chloe just needed to grab something first before meeting us up there. She told us to go on without her.” Marinette took the white lie and linked her fingers with his as they rode the elevator up. 

Marinette went wide-eyed at the view. The entire terrace was lit up from the bushes to the umbrellas. The pool had dozens of floating candles. Even the piano was adorned with lights. “Wow, Chloe likes to go all out when she decorates, huh?” Marinette said innocently. 

Adrien turned to Marinette and he blushed over how beautiful she looked under the dimmed lights. He grabbed her waist and pulled her in, leaving a light kiss to her lips. The countdown could be heard in the streets below. 

_Thirty, twenty-nine, twenty-eight..._

He looked at her with all the love in the world. “Marinette.” 

_….twenty-_ _six_ _, twenty-_ _five_ _, twenty-f_ _our_ _..._

“Hmm.” She hummed quietly as she soaked up his embrace. 

_…twenty-two, twenty-one, twenty..._

“The last ten months were the best I ever had in my life. I haven’t been this happy since before my mother passed away. You have always been there for me, and even brought my father back into my life. I never expected that in a million years.” He cooed softly to her ear. “You reminded me how special this holiday is; you reminded me how loved I am. I don’t think I could ever repay you for everything you have done.” 

_...fifteen, fourteen, thirteen..._

“But all good things must come to an end.” 

Marinette looked confused over what he was saying. _Ending?_ Marinette turned away from him, afraid at what he was hinting at. 

_...ten, nine, eight..._

Time felt like it slowed down. 

_...seven, six, five..._

“Marinette.” 

She turned around to his calling and saw he wasn’t standing. She looked down, her hand reaching up to her mouth, tears slowly falling down her cheeks. 

_...four, three, two, one. Happy New Year!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the cliffhanger! I'll update Part 2 this evening.


	31. New Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of Chloe's party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song she mentions is the "In the Rain" song from Origins Part 2 - or otherwise knows as the infamous Umbrella scene.

Marinette stared at the love of her life. Her hand remained at her mouth while the tears continued to fall. Adrien was down on one knee with the open ring box held carefully in both hands. Sitting in the box was a very simple, but gorgeous, pink round cut diamond engagement ring. It sat perfectly centered on a rose gold band that was twisted to look like a stem of a flower. It was even the perfect ring to keep on her finger as she worked with fabric. It was quaint and ornate and exactly her style. It was absolutely perfect for _her_. 

“I never want to spend a minute of my life without you. Marinette, _princess_ , will you make me the happiest man alive and spend the rest of your days with me? Will you marry me?” 

The sound of cheers rang throughout Paris as the countdown reached zero. There were fireworks blazing in the sky in front of them, but Adrien and Marinette were enthralled in their own little world, completely oblivious to the actions around them. 

Marinette shut her eyes tightly, warding off the remaining tears that threatened to fall. She shook her head “yes” so enthusiastically she was nearly dizzy. She leaped into his arms and wrapped he arms around his neck and yelled “yes!” before crashing her lips to his. A handful of passionate kisses and happy tears later, Adrien was finally able to pull away to place the ring on her finger. More tears fell between the two as Adrien helped her up, held her in his arms, and kissed under the firework display. Slowly, they both pulled away, placing their cheeks together to watch the display as they embraced. 

Chloe and Sabrina watched from the side, smirking as the entire proposal was caught on film. “Adrien and Marinette are going to love that I did this.” She said as she pressed a button on her phone. 

The two intruders of the private affair left the couple to their own accord as they walked back down towards the party. 

Adrien grabbed his fiancé's hand and guided her over to the piano where the bottle of champagne and two flutes waited to celebrate with them. Popping the cork with a loud “pop!” Marinette giggled sweetly as she held out the glasses. Adrien clinked his glass against hers, toasting to the future. 

“To our future. To many, many years of happiness, love, _children_ , kwami antics, and lots of lots of laughter.” 

Marinette smiled widely at his toast and added, “To new beginnings. Many years of love, forever more.” 

Another kiss, another clink of their champagne glasses, another sip. Adrien moved to the end of the piano and brushed his fingers against the keys. Finding his position, Adrien’s fingers danced along the keys playing the most harmonic song coming straight from his heart. Marinette could feel the music as he closed his eyes. Listening carefully, Marinette clutched her hand against her chest, moving and sitting silently beside him as he played. 

Marinette blushed. She recognized the song. What feels like forever ago, but also felt like yesterday, she remembered that moment. It was _the_ moment. Marinette stood outside, hand out in the rain as she pondered running the short distance to her home or to stay until the rain subsided. She rushed out of the house late that morning, forgetting about the upcoming storm that would drench the day. 

Hearing the shuffle coming from behind her, she moved over allowing the student to pass. When she noticed the boy with the blond hair trying to say hello, trying to make small talk even though he played that prank on her that day, she looked away. 

When he told her those personal things, apologizing for the misunderstanding, and showing the sweet side of this sheltered boy who wanted to give so much, she fell in love with him. The umbrella was a simple gesture of selflessness and innocent friendship. The beautiful giggle that had bubbled from his chest. Her heart sang the song. She stared at him and her heart melted and the song played. 

Adrien was playing her song. The love of her life was playing the song that brought him to her. 

Tears pricked her eyes. She knew he loved her, but this – this made her realize how much he loved her. Her soulmate. Her chaton. 

Adrien finished as he turned to her and noticed the tears falling so slowly. His smile turned upside down, worried that he did something wrong. He pulled her hands into his, his eyes not leaving her gaze. “My lady, why are you crying? Did I do something wrong?” 

She softly shook her head no. “Mon chaton, you played my song.” 

“Your- your song?” 

“The day I fell in love with you. When you handed me the umbrella, my heart sang this beautiful song. The time around me stopped. I don’t remember breathing. But my heart continued beating and almost soared from my body. But there was this beautiful song that played; I heard it. And you, mon minou, you played the song that has been in my head all this time.” 

Adrien’s heart swelled with so much love. He played her song. He had been hearing this song forever, but never understood it. He wanted to play a song for her and allowed his heart to pour through his fingers and choose the keys. The song he played came from his heart and he didn’t know why it was so important to play it right then and there. He just knew it felt... right. 

Grasping her and holding her tightly, tears flowed from his own eyes as he placed his head in the crook of her neck. “I love you, Marinette. I can’t wait to spend the rest of forever with you.” 

Marinette held him tightly and followed in his gesture. “I love you, Adrien. Forever and always.” 

* * *

The moment that Marinette noticed Chloe, she walked up to her in thanks. Chloe, not one to reciprocate affection, held out her hands to hug her in congratulations. Sabrina waited sweetly beside her to give her congratulations to the happy couple. 

After cooing over the ring, Adrien interrupted for a quick dance with Chloe, offering his thanks for her help in the whole plan. 

“Chloe, thank you for everything you did tonight.” Adrien kissed her cheek. 

A smile pressed her glossed lips. “I’ve already sent you and Marinette the video of the whole thing and Sabrina forwarded the photos. We thought you wanted to remember this moment.” 

Adrien stopped and hugged her tight. “You seriously are one of my best friends. I’m so glad you’re in my life.” 

“And I’m happy you’re in mine” 

Once the song finished, Marinette sauntered up to her fiancé to request a final dance before he whisked her home. 

Swaying to the music, a few photos being taken as she nonchalantly flashed her left hand over Adrien’s shoulder, prompting a quick glisten from the diamond stud. She whispered into Adrien’s ear of wanting to bet on how long it would take for the media to freak over the newest addition. 

“Hmm..” Adrien teased his chin, “I bet in about five minutes we’ll see the photos on social media, and in six minutes Alya will text you or call you to scream in your ear.” 

“I’m going to bet in three minutes for social media and four minutes for Alya.” 

As if she didn’t know her best friend, Adrien’s phone buzzed at the four-minute mark. A quick teasing glare from Marinette and Adrien bowed praises to his princess. 

“I think they can wait a little longer for confirmation. I need to tell my parents anyways.” 

Adrien spun Marinette around and tugged her closely to him. “They already know.” Marinette shot a quick glance in confusion. “The grandchildren comment from your papa.” 

“Figures.” Marinette shook her head. 

A quick dip, a chaste kiss, and Marinette and Adrien left the floor to head home. 

“Today was amazing.” Marinette said as she placed her tired head on his shoulders. “Thank you for making this night absolutely memorable.” 

“Always for you, my love.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year! I'm so happy with how this story came out. I wasn't planning on participating on this event, but I'm so glad I did.  
> I hope you all enjoy this story!


End file.
